Did you know . . .

Yuendumu Bush Tomato

By Audrey Napanangka

Bush tomato or wild tomato plant usually has waxy looking small fruit and grows on a small silvery looking shrub covered in tiny hairs.  It grows in the very arid desert regions of Australia on the red sand hills where the berries mature to the same color as the sand.

The ripe fruits have a strong fragrance which may be smelled from long distances. A single plant produces many fruits. These fruits are tasty. Bush tomato is rich in sources of potassium and vitamin C.  It was often ground into a paste and rolled into large balls which were then stored for use in times when food was scarce.

There are more than 100 varieties of Bush tomatoes, but only a handful of them are edible. Some may be poisonous or may cause sickness. Harvesters normally collect sun-dried fruits of the small bushes in the late summer and early winter.

Audrey Napanangka’s artwork is vivid and strong. This design shows women sitting around a waterhole with already picked fruits on the coolaman (special wooden platter) with digging sticks.

 Buy this fabric now.

There are a number of other M&S fabrics featuring bush tomatoes, and you may browse our extensive collection of Australian aboriginal fabrics by clicking here.

 M&S Textiles Australia is the largest manufacturer of Australian Aboriginal designs printed on quilting quality 100% cotton fabric. Aboriginal artworks are popular throughout the world and are the only living ancient artwork. Their tradition goes back thousands of years.  It is amazing that many of the artists do not have any formal education or training.

See our huge collection of Aboriginal fabrics.