Midyim – Austromyrtus dulcis

Austromyrtus dulcis or Midyim is a native groundcover and ‘Bush Tucker Plant’ – it is also known as the Midgen Berry. It is a local endemic species in my region – from around Northern NSW/Southern Queensland.

At this time of year it is covered in small starry flowers with small green foliage whose new growth has leaves tipped in red. It is interesting that many Australian plants have this characteristic – including Eucalypts and Lilly Pillies. We have had a lot of success in growing this plant and it seems quite hardy.

A few years back I based a miniature design around this plant. Looking back at older designs I often find that I would take a different approach now. It is good for artists to take a longer perspective in their work and see where they’ve come from. This design – as are some of the other miniature designs – is one I would approach differently now.