KUNZEA pomifera

A low-growing shrub which makes it a good dense ground cover as it grows to only around 30 cm in height with a spread of 1-3 metres.

Kunzea pomifera is also known as emu apples, native cranberries, munthari, muntaberry or muntries. The edible berries produce four times more antioxidants than blueberries are about 1 cm in diameter, green with a tinge of red at maturity and have a flavour of a spicy apple.

Flowers occur in dense terminal heads during spring.

Native to South Australia and Victoria.

Prefers light to medium well-drained soil in an open sunny position, drought and frost resistant.

Please Note: Although many of the traditional Bush Food and Medicine plants are now commercially produced in various forms we recommend you re-search these before using them as any form of food or medicine. Some parts of the plant may not be edible or some may need to be prepared before they are safe to eat or use in any way. We do our best to describe their traditional & modern uses. It is the purchaser's responsibility to ensure they are fit for their intended use.

Grow notes:

Although seed can be sown most of the year in many parts of Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn in temperate climates, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 18-22°C

1. Sow seed on the surface of a porous seed-raising mix. The seed will lodge in the pores of the mix once watered.
2. Sprinkle a very light covering of the seed-raising mix over the seed if required to hold the seed in place. Do not bury the seed deeply.
3. Water with a fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
4. Place in a warm shaded or semi-shaded position to avoid dying out.
5. Keep warm & moist, and avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.
6. Germination generally occurs in around 14-28 days in the right condition.

General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.