We are fortunate in the Illawarra region to have so many useful and edible native plants. First Nations Peoples have known of and used these plants for many generations, but we more recent arrivals can be unaware of the good things around.

One such under-rated plant is the White Aspen or Acronychia oblongifolia, a small elegant tree in the Rutaceae family (the same family that includes citrus). It's a rainforest specialist, and you can see it in all local rainforests such as the littoral rainforest remnant pockets at the coast, along our creeks and waterways, and right along the escarpment.

When not in fruit it can be hard to tell from other rainforest trees, but the fruit are distinctive, fleshy white berries with a delicious lemony sweet-and-sourness.

A cool place to see White Aspen growing is in Fairy Meadow, at one of Wollongong City Council's very first trials of local native trees as street trees. A few advanced White Aspens were planted on Lombard Street in a very dry autumn back in 2017 or 2018, and then had to fend for themselves over the following years. Some suffered from the drought conditions and never recovered; others were whipper-snipped and failed to thrive.

But one or two lucky trees were adopted by local residents and given the sort of care that any newly planted tree (particularly an advanced specimen) needs: regular watering, protection from the whipper-snipper or lawnmower, and a bit of judicious weeding round the base.

The results are a study in contrast, with a couple of trees looking fantastic and the others .... not so much.   

Growing in full sun, wind and rain on a verge near a hot black road is a tough gig. I'm so inspired to see the surviving White Aspens in this area and just how well they're doing with a little care from the locals. Other local native street tree trials are happening round the region.

So hopefully soon all those Illawarra Flame Trees, Water Gums and Tuckeroos will be surrounded by a whole lot of diverse beautiful local trees.