Native Basil

There are approximately 90 different species of Wild Mint grown all over Australia.

Round Leaf Mint is often called Native Basil, common names can be conflicting with the botanical name, but they do give the user something to relate back to what they know.  Native Basil has a Marjorim/basil flavour and is a great addition to your pantry.  Once you get used to using it on any pasta sauce you might make, or even in a bread with perhaps some native pepper, mixed in with a creamy cheese, the uses are endless, just limited by your imagination.

This bush botanical is a hardy grower and as a bush can be cut back quite a lot, which is something we do at the Wild Food Farm as we’re constantly harvesting it for our kitchen and also for many other restaurants and catering businesses we supply.  The bush is a winner in any garden and growing your own bushfoods is a worthwhile and healthy option. 

This bushfood plant is a great addition to any garden, in Spring it has a really showy burst of mauve/violet flowers and for the entire year you have bush mint on hand.  It can be cut to form a hedge or just as a great garden bush.  The Australian native mint bush attracts small insect-eating birds and the butterflies love it.The small round leaves dried easily and the same as you would any other leafy herb.  

The Australian native mint bush has a  fresh, aromatic flavour and aroma, great on lamb roast and anything that requires a strong minty flavour.  Use instead of traditional mint.  Mix a little with yoghurt when you want a minty yoghurt to enhance a curry.

This popular Australian mint,  Prostanthera rotundifolia, or round-leaf Mint Bush is growing in popularity and used more frequently as an addition to create some great herbal flavours.  

This bushtucker herb also makes a fantastic aromatic tea.