Apple berry
Billardiera scandens
A gentle twining vine; eat the green, kiwi-tasting berries only once they fall soft and ripe.
Hardiness: zones 9 to 11
Light: part shade
Size: about 10 ft tall, 3 ft wide
Harvest: June to August
From: SE Australia
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Australia. Hardy in zones 9 to 11.
The story
Apple berry is a twining vine of southeast Australia whose sweet, apple-flavoured fruit was eaten by Aboriginal peoples of the Victorian and New South Wales coasts; settlers' children called it dumplings. It climbs through heath and makes a gentle garden vine.
Planting
Part shade, drained soil, and a mild climate; a light climber to 6 feet. Plant in spring with a shrub or trellis to twine on.
Growing
Water in dry spells and mulch. Prune lightly after fruiting. It takes light frost.
Harvest and use
Fruit ripens pale yellow-green and soft in autumn; eat fresh, skin and all, when it falls into the hand.
What to watch for
Hard frost; little else.
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home