Urban forage

[clckclck]

Took a walk around the Perth neighborhood the other day and was blown away with the amount of citrus around once I noticed.

Picked about 5 lemons from a tree near a local park/skate park.

Besides edible weeds, what else does everyone forage?

Keeping in mind to be lawful and to not trespass my neighbor has a great mulberry tree that over hangs my fence!

 

[Edward]

Isn't it serene when one discovers what mother nature has to offer us, free and even in an urban environment.

I would have to say mushrooms. They can be abundant in areas and can be quite a skill/ challenge to find (they are sometimes just beneath the earth and you have to study the mulch for protrusions).

As a kid I use see see old people harvesting them after the rains. Does this mean I am an old person now too? ::

 

[Pyromage]

Lemon, mullberry, and lilly pillies are extremely common around my area in the Northern suburbs,
I even found two areas with a wall of passion fruit vines growing over the fence into a park and into a laneway

Edit:spelling

 

[Bloffy13]

Ah, now there's a good excuse for an outing.
Why don't we have a bit of a day sometime in Spring and do a forage through both an urban and a bushland setting to find different plant types, both native and introduced.
I would love to learn a lot more about this sort of thing. I personally think that it would be far easier to gather than to hunt but a good plant knowledge would make this far simpler.
Food for thought (no pun intended, but I am a funny bugger.)
Any WA members strong in this area and might want to lead the way?
Cheers
Bloffy

 

[Bloffy13]

Lilly pillies are what used to be called Chinese Apples when I was a kid?
I don't know if it was just Mum erring on the side of caution because she didn't know but I am sure she said they were "poisonous". I ate them anyway and I am still here. Anyone have any knowledge about their "toxicity".
We used to suck the "nectar" out of the horn-shaped bright orange flowers on Watsonias. Pull the flower off complete, nip the little green bud off the bottom and suck the juice inside. Very sweet but you got the occasional ant or bug so you had to be careful.
Recently, I was told about a Turkish Delight plant. It has a Noongar name which I can't remember sorry. (Anybody? Anybody? Beaulah? Beaulah?) It has a delicate leaf and a seed pod which is about 2-3cm long. When it is ripe, it goes a translucent burnt purple colour. You suck the juice out and spit the seeds, which are very bitter. It does, indeed, taste like Turkish Delight. Now that I know it, I see it all the time.
Cheers
Bloffy

 

[clckclck]

I’d love to join in on a WA forage! Any pictures of the Turkish delight plant? Always keen to learn new plants. It’s funny how once you know a plant they seem to be everywhere.

 

[Oldnslow]

Going for a walk around my suburb in Cairns at the right time of year you will find several types of lillypilly and brazilian cherries.
Wild bananas in the creek as well.

 

[Pyromage]

yep, that is what i called them until a year ago as well,
not toxic to my knowlede,
me and by brother have eaten about 2-3kg of the stuff is one go without any issues, he is 8 and weighs 20kg.

 

[Pyromage]

Lilly pillies are what used to be called Chinese Apples when I was a kid?
I don't know if it was just Mum erring on the side of caution because she didn't know but I am sure she said they were "poisonous". I ate them anyway and I am still here. Anyone have any knowledge about their "toxicity".
We used to suck the "nectar" out of the horn-shaped bright orange flowers on Watsonias. Pull the flower off complete, nip the little green bud off the bottom and suck the juice inside. Very sweet but you got the occasional ant or bug so you had to be careful.
Recently, I was told about a Turkish Delight plant. It has a Noongar name which I can't remember sorry. (Anybody? Anybody? Beaulah? Beaulah?) It has a delicate leaf and a seed pod which is about 2-3cm long. When it is ripe, it goes a translucent burnt purple colour. You suck the juice out and spit the seeds, which are very bitter. It does, indeed, taste like Turkish Delight. Now that I know it, I see it all the time.
Cheers
Bloffy

yep, that is what i called them until a year ago as well,
not toxic to my knowlede,
me and by brother have eaten about 2-3kg of the stuff is one go without any issues, he is 8 and weighs 20kg.

 

[El Gordo]

I'm not from Melbourne but there is plenty of the coastal wattle growing down here, especially around the wetlands and bays in SE Melbourne.
The seed pods have just gone brown on them (December 2020) with little black seeds.
You can eat a couple, not much to them but if you get a good handful and crush them in a mortar and pestle, you get a flour (I suppose like most grasses).
The locals used to make Johnny cakes out of them but I haven't got enough flour yet.
Will let you know when I do.