Muntries

Kunzea pomifera

A ground-hugging mat with berries that taste of spiced apple; Ngarrindjeri people dried them into cakes for trade.

Type: groundcover · berries and small fruit
Hardiness: zones 8 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 6 ft wide
Harvest: August to October
From: Southern coast of 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 8 to 10.

The story

Muntries were a staple of the Ngarrindjeri and neighboring peoples along the Coorong and the southern coast, who pounded the berries into cakes that kept and travelled. They are also called emu apples.

Planting

Full sun and sandy, well-drained, limy soil. Train it up a low trellis or let it trail.

Growing

Water in dry spells. Tip-prune to thicken it.

Harvest and use

Green-to-purple berries in late summer and autumn, crisp, with the flavor of a spiced apple. Eat them fresh, dry them, or bake them where you would use sultanas.

What to watch for

Wet feet. Slow in its first years.

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More berries and small fruit

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