“We’ve single-handedly revived this plant.”

There are hundreds of local, endemic species in this fragile coastal scrubland, and IndigiGrow is working to save as many as possible. The team collects seed and cuttings from bushland and grows them on site, giving away many seedlings to schools, farms, and organisations to help regenerate the landscape. These native plants feed birds, animals, insects – and people. They anchor the ecosystems that support life on this land.

Some species grown at IndigiGrow, like Styphelia viridis (also called “Five Corners or bush lollies by our old people”), are incredibly rare to see them propagated by nurseries – but are very important to the ESBS plant community. Peter recalls taking 100 cuttings of Five Corners and losing them all except one. But that single survivor became 4,000.

“We’ve single-handedly revived this plant,” he says.

“No other nursery could afford to take the time to nurture it and learn how to grow it because of the large amount of time, effort and resources needed, but that’s what we do – and that’s what philanthropy makes possible. Commercial nurseries can’t do this.”

Among the bushfoods flourishing in the nursery are native round limes, Atherton raspberries, saltbush (planted throughout La Perouse Public School), and Five Corners – also known as “bush lollies.” These small, sweet fruits hold a special place in Peter’s heart. They were once abundant in the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, but had all but vanished from the landscape – and from memory.

Determined to bring the plant back, Peter took 100 cuttings from a bush he was shown as a kid. Despite his best efforts, every single one died – except one. From that one fragile survivor, Peter realised that Five Corners was possible to grow, So he and his small team of young local apprentices began the journey of learning how to grow this important plant for cultural reasons.

Armed with knowledge of where a few plants were still growing, Peter and the team began trial growing cuttings and monitoring success. We would go out and take cuttings at different times of the year so we could use plant material that was at different stages of growth. We trialled new grow, middle and old growth cuttings and refined our propagation media as well.

Over time, we began to see more cuttings striking roots and our success rate rise dramatically. This trial propagation period would last for 4 years and during this period, Peter watch the success rate rise from 1% to over 85% which put IndigiGrow firmly in the driver’s seat to revive this important plant for the community.

IndigiGrow has scaled up production of Five Corners significantly over the last few years and have now produced over 4000 of which some were presented to elders, but a special event was when IndigiGrow presented 12 plants to the elders during the La Perouse Community NAIDOC family day where they dug them in and planted this bushfood plant in the community for the first time ever.

When reflecting on his Five Corners journey, Peter says, the most powerful moment came not in the nursery, but in the act of sharing. It took me 50 years to see and eat the fruit for the first time. I couldn’t believe it when I visited the plant one day and could see bush lollies all over it. It took me ten minutes to actually try one because I was so amazed at seeing the fruit for the first time. I knew immediately when I saw the fruit why the old people called it Five Corners and when I tasted it I knew straight away why they called them bush lollies, because they were super sweet berries and red in colour. That morning, I ate hundreds of them but I also picked a bundle to take how to his mum, Peter says.

He rushed back to his mum’s place stopping to pick up his daughter on the way and it was through this he discovered his mother hadn’t seen or tasted Five Corners in over 60 years.

“To see her face light up – it was emotional,” Peter recalls. “That flavour, that memory, that connection to the bush lolly … it really meant a lot.”

That moment – spanning three generations of his family – captured what IndigiGrow is all about. It wasn’t just a sweet berry; it was a living thread, reconnecting people to land, to culture, and to memory.

“We’re not just growing plants. We’re reviving culture. We’re bringing back something that was nearly lost,” Peter says.

This is what sets IndigiGrow apart. It’s not solely about commercial-scale horticulture. It’s deep-time restoration – grounded in love for Country, patience, and intergenerational care.

IndigiGrow’s impact is spreading beyond La Perouse. Peter recently helped another Macdoch partner, Jocelyn King, who is establishing a native garden at her property in the Hunter Valley as well as Nathan Lovett who has created a bushfood farm at Mudgee. Peter supplied 100 female and 50 male Mountain Pepper plants to Nathan’s farm at no cost with the promise that IndigiGrow apprentices can visit and propagate as many cuttings from the plants once they have grown.

Currently Peter is about to work with Bundjalung chef and former MasterChef contestant Mindy Woods to establish a bushfood garden on a new property near Byron Bay.

IndigiGrow will supply the seedlings – Fingerlimes, native raspberries, saltbush, Lemon Myrtle, Cinnamon Myrtle and much more – and local school children will help plant them, learning about Country and culture in the process. Mindy’s vision includes not just growing native foods, but creating a cultural tourism experience that incorporates bushfood processing, packaging and retail sales as well as a restaurant – Karkalla – showcasing the plants grown on site.

It’s a partnership grounded in shared values: Indigenous knowledge, community, sustainability, and delicious food. By working together, Peter, Nathan, Jocelyn and Mindy are helping to expand the native food movement in a way that is led by – and benefits – First Nations people and ensures more Indigenous people become part of the Bushfood supply chain.

IndigiGrow doesn’t just restore plants – it’s restoring Indigenous voices in the native food industry, which Peter says is worth around $150 million today and he predicts it will grow to become a Primary industry over the next 20-30 years. Currently only 2% of people working in the industry are Aboriginal.

“That’s a big gap considering Indigenous knowledge and Intellectual property are the foundation the native Bushfood industry and been built on – but the benefits aren’t flowing back to First Nations people and communities. That has to change.”

Peter believes government could do more to support native species, including placing a levy on the sale of non-native or exotic plants to help fund native restoration efforts. He points out that billions are spent eradicating non-native plants each year – many of which have spread from seed escaping residential areas. A systems-level change could help restore the natural balance, but Peter believes that future development must include local endemic plants and efforts to educate the wider community about the detrimental effects non-native plants are having on our fragile environment and wildlife.

He’s also focused on building pathways for young Aboriginal people to enter the industry through training and apprenticeships grounded in cultural knowledge. These efforts are not just about jobs – they’re about reclaiming space and influence in a growing sector that should honour and benefit the communities that hold the original knowledge that is integral to keeping our land healthy and our environment sustainable.

“We’re building something that lasts,” Peter says. “Plants, knowledge, jobs – it’s all connected.”

IndigiGrow is deeply committed to building a strong Aboriginal presence across the native plant and bushfoods supply chain. At its core is a growing team of Aboriginal horticulturalists, apprentices and knowledge-holders who are restoring not only landscapes, but leadership.

With support from the Macdoch Foundation, IndigiGrow trains local Aboriginal apprentices each year, equipping them with practical horticulture skills and cultural knowledge grounded in Country. These young people are learning how to care for native plants, collect cuttings, propagating endangered species and sharing their knowledge with others – ensuring the work continues for generations to come.

“We’re building something that lasts,” Peter says. “Plants, knowledge, jobs – it’s all connected. We’re at a point now where our young people are driving the revival of our local critically endangered plants, restoring habitat, creating wildlife corridors and engaging and educating the wider community so we restore Country for everyone to enjoy. It is this that I’m most proud of.”