We had heard from Dave and Beryl there was a cheese tree at Booyong and until recently we had no idea what they were referring too, now we know! The Glochidion ferdinandi – Cheese Tree grows to 10metres tall and at Booyong they are well established and located on the tree line to the left of the cabin towards the bridge. The tree is quite dense and the fruit resembles cheese or perhaps little pumpkins which can be white or pale green with tinges of red or orange.

The tree is common along the NSW coast, Queensland and up all the way up to the Kimberley regions of WA and can live more than 60 years. They are often found on margins of rainforest and flower  between July and December and they are small and greenish – yellow in colour and can be semi-deciduous in winter. The leaves are variable, green and glossy on the top and paler and softly hairy underneath.

It’s a good nesting sight for birds and fruits are eaten by several bird species, including the, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Olive-backed Oriole, rainforest pigeons and doves, and parrots. Food source for butterfly larvae of the Shining Pencil-blue (Candalides helenita), and the Common Oak-blue (Arhopala micale) butterflies.