Murnong (yam daisy)
Microseris walteri
A daisy with sweet, coconut-scented roots that was a staple food in Victoria.
Hardiness: zones 7 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: January to March
From: SE Australia
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Australia. Hardy in zones 7 to 10.
The story
Murnong, the yam daisy, was the staple root of the Aboriginal peoples of Victoria and New South Wales, dug by women with digging sticks from vast cultivated meadows that early settlers described as stretching to the horizon; sheep destroyed it within a decade of 1835. It is being replanted and eaten again.
Planting
Full sun, drained soil, and a Mediterranean climate; sow fresh seed in autumn or plant tubers. A dandelion-like perennial that goes dormant in summer.
Growing
Water in winter and spring, keep dry in summer dormancy, and weed carefully. It dislikes competition and grazing.
Harvest and use
Dig the sweet, radish-sized tubers in late spring as the leaves die back; roast them slowly, as Aboriginal cooks did, until sweet and coconut-flavoured.
What to watch for
Grazing, weeds, and summer water.
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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