Kakadu plum (gubinge)
Terminalia ferdinandiana
Small green plums with more vitamin C than any fruit yet measured, harvested by Aboriginal communities across the north.
Hardiness: zones 11 to 12
Light: full sun
Size: about 30 ft tall, 15 ft wide
Harvest: September to December
From: Top End of northern 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, wildlife.
Native to: Australia. Hardy in zones 11 to 12.
The story
Kakadu plum, called gubinge or murunga among other names, has been eaten on the Top End coast for tens of thousands of years. Harvest is still done by hand by Aboriginal communities, and the trade is theirs.
Planting
Full sun and sandy, well-drained soil in the monsoon tropics.
Growing
Water through the first dry seasons. It drops its leaves in the dry.
Harvest and use
Small pale-green fruit at the end of the wet season: sour and astringent, eaten fresh on country and made into jam, sauce and powder.
What to watch for
Any cold. If you buy it, choose Aboriginal-owned suppliers.
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More tropical and subtropical food 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