Terminalia ferdinandiana – Kakadu Plum (seed)

Description

Terminalia ferdinandiana (Kakadu Plum, Gubinge or Billy Goat Plum) is a small to moderate sized spreading tree from 4-10m tall, native to northern parts of Australia. Combretaceae family. Terminalia ferdinandiana is also called by the common and Aboriginal names gubinge, billygoat plum or murunga.

The fruit are edible and contain exceptionally high levels of Vitamin C, some are the highest ever recorded for fruit! 2000-3000mg per 100g or 50 times as much as an average orange.

Care and Cultivation of Terminalia ferdinandiana

Terminalia ferdinandiana  seeds have a physical dormancy and will need to be nicked, sanded or filed to encourage germination. With no treatment, you can expect to wait 6 months to 2 years or more until the embryo can imbibe water and start the germination process. The seed is surrounded by a dry flesh that can be sanded off. You can soak the dry fruit for a few days in water and then rub the flesh off. NOTE: these days I do this step for you and you should just follow the treatment below for penetrating the hard seed coat.

Inside the seed is a much smaller ‘nut’, about the size and length of an almond sliver (15mm x 3mm) which is the actual part of the seed that contains the embryo and from whence forth your plant will grow. To encourage germination, you need to just expose this inner ‘almond’ by filing the shell with a rasp or cutting the end with seceteurs, be careful. No wonder they can take a long time to germinate with no treatment!

Plant seeds just under the surface (1cm) in a good quality seed raising mix in full sun. Keep moist and warm until germination, which may take up to 3 months (depending on how well you file down the seed coat). A drought tolerant, beautiful and hardy species. Full sun.

We use a sharp draining potting mix consisting of coco peat, pumice, coarse sand and perlite.

We have been experimenting with grafting this species to the closely related T. petiolaris and have had great success.

5 seeds per packet or choose other options