You know it is Quandong Season when the path you walk along is strewn with bright blue balls. I have found them to be extraordinary and often stopped to collect a few. For the first time however I have seen them prolific on the branch so I went back to the walk I was on, to photograph this particular tree. Most of them are extremely tall and disappear into the canopy but this one on the path is still young and the fruits were plentiful on the branches and looked so beautiful.

The Blue Quandong grows straight and tall. The trees flower from March to June with fruits forming in Spring. Leaves are a dark green, with old leaves turning bright red before falling. Small white flowers are produced between March and June, followed by the bright blue fruits in Spring. They grow beside rivers and creeks in the subtropical rainforests of Queensland, Northern Territory and northern parts of NSW.

The fruit can be used in jams and pickles. Separate the fruit’s bright blue skin from the green flesh. The fruit is best when slightly over-ripe and soft, or it can taste quite bitter. Inside is a rough, woody stone containing up to five seeds.

Aboriginal people value them for their medicinal properties. They make an edible paste of the ripe fruit. It is often referred to as the Wild Peach, Desert Peach or Native Peach. Quandongs are said to have a vitamin C content higher than oranges!