Common Name: Native Tamarind

Scientific Name: Diploglottis australis

There are ten Diploglottis species worldwide and the Australian Native tamarind trees grow in the subtropical rainforests of Eastern Australia, in Queensland and New South Wales. They are quite leggy and their crowns reach for the canopy and sunshine. As shown in the picture at Booyong along the path towards the table top, they can reach up to 15 m high and have very large, pinnate leaves.

The tamarind produces impressive quantities of bright orange fruit about 1.5cm, however they are difficult to harvest as they grow high up in the tree. The fruit are usually collected when they fall to the ground. Fruit doves, pigeons, green catbird and satin bowerbird are all birds that are attracted by the fruit of the tamarind tree and it is a host plant for larvae of the Bright Cornelian butterfly (Deudorix diovis).

Native tamarinds are an ingredient in modern Australian bushfood cuisine and can be eaten raw or sweetened in a jam.

The plant can be proragated from fresh seed which needs to be soaked in water overnight, however please don’t remove seeds or young plants from conservation area.