NATIVE CHERRY BALLART (Exocarpos cupressiformis) Seeds

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The Aboriginal name for Exocarpos cupressiformis, also known as the Native Cherry or Cherry Ballart, varies by region:

Tchimmi-dillen: Used by Indigenous Australians in Queensland
Palatt or Ballot: Used by Indigenous Australians in Lake Condah, Victoria
Ballee: Used by Indigenous Australians in Yarra
Coo-yie: Used by Indigenous Australians in Queensland

The Native Cherry is a member of the sandalwood family and is native to Australia. It can be found in eastern Australia, Tasmania, and the south-eastern corner of South Australia.

A Dense shrub or tree to 8 m high with larger spreading or erect, scabrous branches, with tiny yellow-green flowers. Flowering between October to May

The edible fruit isn’t actually a true fruit: it’s a swollen stem. It’s reported to have the highest sugar level of any native fruit in the forests of southern Victoria.

Bush food: Fruit raw or cooked

Bush medicine: Sap for snakebites

Other uses: Wood for spear throwers

Europeans: Used the wood to make furniture, tool handles, and gun stocks. Christmas trees: European settlers chopped them down for Christmas trees because of their conifer-like appearance.

Germination: Cherry ballart (Exocarpos cupressiformis) seeds can be difficult to germinate, but here are some tips that may help

Seed treatment: Pass the seed through a bird's digestive system (i.e chickens). The bird's digestive juices weaken the hard nut, making it easier for the seed to germinate. Host plants: Sow the seed with host plants, such as native grasses. Cherry ballart requires a symbiotic relationship with local grasses to germinate.

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