You can find Pigface in our Australian Bush Food Garden at Green Olive at Red Hill.
Interesting Facts about Pigface
Pigface is a genus of succulent native to the coast of South Australia as well as South Africa and Chile. The species that we grow at Green Olive at Red Hill is Carpobrotus rossii, also called karkalla, sea fig and beach bananas. They are often found on growing on sandy soil near the ocean as they thrive in salty conditions. Pigface produces bright purple, daisy-like flowers and reddish purple fruit that tastes like a fig. The flowers, fruit and the leaves are edible but the fruit is the most delicious part of the plant, and the part most often enjoyed by Indigenous Australians. The leaves are nice and salty and Indigenous Australians have been said to enjoy the cooked leaves as a side to meat.
Benefits of Pigface
Pigface extract has been found to contain high amounts of antioxidants, as well as exhibiting high levels of anti-inflammatory and blood clot preventing behaviour. The juice from the leaves of pigface have been used for a variety of medicinal purposes such as applied to jellyfish stings, wounds and insect bites. The pigface fruit is also a laxative!
Interested in learning more about Australian bush foods? We are developing a range of products and experiences that will allow you to feel, smell and taste bush tucker. In the meantime, check out our other bush tucker plants to learn about some of the other native Australian flora that we’ve planted: Wattle Seed, Bunya Bunya and Davidson’s Plum.
Pigface
Photo credit: Outback Joe
Pigface
Photo credit: Wikipedia
A pigface flower
Photo credit: Scribol
Banner photo credit: Yates
Cover photo credit: Garden Express