AusBonsai

Is there anyone here growing this plant?

Will Fletcher has one on the go, I will ask if I can take a photo next time I visit his garden. I have not tried growing this species yet.

I have another friend who also is growing some as bonsai from collected specimens but they are in the early stages. There are also some farms that are starting to grow them here for commercial sale of the berries. The red stems and small black berries are a nice starting point. Plants are either male or female.

Cheers Jarryd.

When I was in Cradle Mtn the trees were all covered in berries, and I must admit I was addicted as soon as I tasted them... Apparently the leaves as well as the berries are edible, (and spicy!)

I've never seen them in berry before, or if I had they weren't so full, it was interesting to see each berry-laden tree was right next to one without, as I'd been told there were male and female...

I'd like to see a photo of Will's if you get one, ta.

I saw Tasmannia insipida on the list of plants for sale at the Qld Native Plant market last week, but missed out, so will see if I can stop eating the ones I brought home and plant one or two.

Tasmannia insipida would be a good alternative if you struggle to grow the lanceolata from the seeds you have. They do appear to be very similar. Good luck with the germination, thank you for all your posts regarding Tasmanian flora. Its great to see other people as interested in them as I am.

I am yet to try the pepper berries in any cooking but might have to pick some and experiment over the winter

Hi Mel
The pepper from the dried berries is now sold all round the world and is rated as one of the best peppers around commanding very high prices , a friend of mine is farming them just outside of waratah, the leaves are delicious sliced finely in salads. Last time I was in cradle mtn, I was nibbling on a leaf and a German tourist was curious so I told her about the tasmanian pepper . Well lo and behold she popped about 3 whole leaves in her mouth and started chewing , next moment I thought she was going to breath fire and she's gasping for water . It was a rather funny sight
cheers
Peterb

Tasmannia insipida would be a good alternative if you struggle to grow the lanceolata from the seeds you have

I guess I can only try, they're a pretty tree in Tasmania...can't guarantee they'll look as pretty in Qld. Thanks for your comments and suggestions Jarryd.

The pepper from the dried berries is now sold all round the world and is rated as one of the best peppers around commanding very high prices

I did see a sign on Middlesex plains asking $10 for a 250gr bag, but I just filled a bag from the tree outside my cottage.

I semi dried a few on top of the furnace for the week we were there, and just dropped them into salad rolls and sprinkled on top of toasted cheese. It's an extraordinary finish, for me, and leaves me with a pleasant sensitivity to hot foods for a couple of hours afterward, something I've never experienced before, even with chili.

I also mentioned to a couple of the guys in our group that the berries were edible and spicy. One enjoyed, the other didn't! I didn't try the leaves.... (There's always next year.)

Thanks Peterb, I hope your friend finds success with their farming of it!

Any photos of a wild one as a model? Or is it better to eat than see?

Gavin

I don't believe I've ever taken a photo of a single tree, since they tend to grow more as a tangled understory, with lots of trees all together. I do, however, regularly try out various macro shots on the leaves, since they're right outside every one of the cottages I've ever stayed in at the Discovery Park in Cradle Mtn.

Inspired by your post I went and checked my Tasmannia that I planted a few years ago. No berries. And I don't know wether it's male or female and more likely to be T. insipida. Leaves were peppery though. I do have T. lanceolata in my nursery I think. Maybe should go and have a look!

Thanks for posting and I loved your pics of tassie Mel.

went and checked my Tasmannia that I planted a few years ago. No berries

I don't know enough about them to know how you tell which is male and which is female yet, this year was the first time in 6 years visiting Cradle that I'd even noticed the berries, so I'm guessing the rainfall, or lack of it, has been responsible for a mass berry-ing event this year. Going back through my shots I only see leaves and new bud tips, no berries at all, until this year... so I wouldn't be concerned just yet...

They do tend to grow in communities though, so planting a few more might give you more of a chance of getting males and females....

Male and female flowers are shown on this page
http://www.tasmanianmountainpepper.com/the_plant.htm

Thanks mel. Great colours in the fine details. Interesting trunk shapes.

Gavin