'JILARGA' NORTHERN BLUEBELL / CAMEL BUSH / CATTLE BUSH (Trichodesma zeylanicum) Seeds

Trichodesma zeylanicum, commonly known as Northern bluebell, camel bush or cattle bush, is a herb or shrub native to Australia,  also occurs in Africa and India.

It grows as an erect herb or shrub up to two metres high, with a well-developed taproot. Flowers are blue, or rarely white. Usually grows in open eucalypt forest but also found in monsoon forest and vine thickets

This plant is an attractive sub-shrub which flowers prolifically and does well in cultivation as well as being widespread in nature.

Bush food: Edible leaves - The young leaves and shoots can be chopped and cooked with other vegetables.

Bush medicine: Aborigines in the north of Western Australia used it as a decoction applied to sores.  The roots are analgesic They are chewed or pounded and then soaked in cold water. The resultant infusion is used as a remedy for tuberculosis, stomach-ache, diarrhoea, poisoning and snakebite.

The powdered root is applied externally to wounds to relieve the pain. The ash of burnt plants is an ingredient of prescriptions used for treating coughs and scabies

Other uses: The seed oil/flower essence is traded on the international market under the name of ‘wild borage oil’.

Germination: Sowing Mix: Coir or sowing mix + sand or perlite  Temperature: 22-25°C ; Location: bright + keep constantly moist.