Common names: Native Cherry, Ballart, Cherry Ballart, Cypress Cherry
Taxonomic name: Exocarpos cupressiformis
Family: Santalaceae
Flowering Time: Spring to Winter
Indigenous name: Tchimmi‑dillen (Queensland), Coo‑yie (Qld). Palatt/Ballot (Gunditjmara Victoria), Ballee Yarra region, Victoria, Mirrii ( Yuwaalaraay / Yuwaalayaay, NSW). Ballot/Pallat (Ngarrindjeri). Ballat (unconfirmed)
Common names: Native Cherry, Ballart, Cherry Ballart, Cypress Cherry
Taxonomic name: Exocarpos cupressiformis
Family: Santalaceae
Related herbs: Quondongs, Native Apricot, Coastal Ballart
Area of origin: South Eastern Australia (Qld to Tas and across to SA)
Parts used: Twigs, bark, leaves, pedicel (fruit)
Has been used medicinally for: Sores and weeping skin, mouth ulcers, gingivitis. Constipation, diarrhoea. Snakebite. Nutrition.
Healing Actions: astringent, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, laxative, anti-diarrhoeal.
TCM: clears mild heat-toxicity, astringes fluids, stabilises surface. Trying leaves, I found a slight diaphoretic effect so would say that it possibly also releases the exterior, which would also mean it affects the wei qi of the skin and lungs (just an educated guess)
Taste: Bitter, astringent
Tissue states: Heat, excitation, dampness
Energetics: Cooling–neutral, drying
Organ/System affinities: Liver, Stomach, Wei Qi (possibly). Skin, lungs, Immune system
Healing constituents: Tannins. Acetylenic fatty acids (inc. exocarpic acid, tariric acid, Ximenynic acid, stearolic acid). Saturated/unsaturated fatty acids. Unresolved acetylenic lipids.
Contraindications and warnings: Constipation – tannins can exacerbate this. Iron deficiency – tannins reduce iron absorption.
Drug/herb interactions: Tannins can cause reduced absorption of iron, alkaloids, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones.
Description
Like the related Quandong and the more distantly related Mistletoes, Native Cherry is a hemiparasite in its early stages of growth, attaching itself to the roots of older trees (particularly Eucalypts) to gain nutrients.
A graceful perennial shrub or small tree to 10 m high with bright green or yellowish-green with many branchlets (modified stems) numerous usually pendulous, striate. When young, they are pubescent becoming glabrous. They spread and look like the tree’s namesake the Cypress.
Leaves are tiny and on the branchlets and are scale-like, triangular or lanceolate 0.5 mm long, 2–5 mm.
Like its beach loving relative, Coastal Ballart , Native Cherry or ‘Ballart’ has a yellow flower followed by edible fruit that grows with its seed on the outside. The part we eat is actually an enlarged section of the flower stalk , called a ‘pedicle’ which is sweet and tasty, getting more so as it gets redder. Don’t eat the seed though, it’s bitter, just spit it onto the ground near another tree where you think it will grow nicely!
Medicinal uses
I’ve only heard of the twigs being chewed for mouth issues and the fruit being eaten for food.
In further research, I’ve discovered that the bark can be infused or decocted to take advantage of its high tannin content (and maybe some resins too?) to help with wounds and inflammation on the skin. These preparations can also be drunk for cases of diarrhoea or the fruit eaten in quantity to become a mild laxative. These uses may also be appropriate to the Kaurna/Ngarrindjeri area where I have got most of my lived knowledge from but, as I haven’t been informed of them by locals, I’m just clarifying that they come from online and book research.
Preparing and using Native Cherry
Leaves, twigs or bark as an infusion for a bitter tonic or astringent wash or bark decoction as a wash for sores, weeping skin, irritation (the high tannin bark may be used similarly to other astringent barks).
Twigs chewed for mouth issues, gingivitis etc.
Fruit pedicel eaten fresh as a seasonal treat, especially by children. Can have a mild laxative effect.
One reference mentions the sap being used as ‘medicine’, but as it is unconfirmed, I’m only mentioning for if anyone wants to follow up further.
Wood is highly valued traditionally and by contemporary woodworkers and branches used in cultural and practical contexts. Wood has been possibly used for spear-throwers by the Yarra people of Victoria.
Other herb pages on Ligaya Garden
We cover a lot of ground on many herb related topics here on our website. There are whole pages devoted to different topics as well as frequent posts. Some of the links are –
