{"id":309,"date":"2022-09-08T12:51:03","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T12:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/?post_type=product&p=309"},"modified":"2025-08-04T03:52:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T03:52:17","slug":"mushroom-plant","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/product\/mushroom-plant\/","title":{"rendered":"Mushroom plant"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Botanical Name:<\/strong>\u00a0Rungia Klossii<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Some other names:<\/strong>\u00a0Rungia, Kenkaba, Moku, Tani<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to Grow It<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

The Mushroom Plant is an evergreen perennial shrub<\/b> that grows in dense clumps up to about 60\u202fcm tall. It has glossy green leaves, delicate little blue flowers, and a habit that makes it just as much at home in an ornamental border as it is in a food garden.<\/p>\r\n

Native to Papua New Guinea<\/b>, it thrives in tropical and subtropical climates<\/b> but can be grown in warm temperate zones if protected from frost. In cold regions, you\u2019ll need to keep it in pots and move it to a sheltered spot over winter.<\/p>\r\n

It loves warmth and moisture<\/b>, doing best in rich, well-drained soil with a good layer of mulch. While it prefers partial shade<\/b>, it will handle full sun if you keep the soil damp. In hotter months, a bit of afternoon shade will keep the leaves plump and tender.<\/p>\r\n

Mushroom plant is wonderfully low-maintenance<\/b>. A handful of compost or a splash of seaweed fertiliser now and then will boost leafy growth, but it will still produce even if you forget about it for a while.<\/p>\r\n

Propagation<\/b> is as easy as it gets \u2013 just break off a tip cutting, stick it in a pot or straight into the ground, keep it moist, and it will strike. You can also divide established clumps for instant new plants.<\/p>\r\n

Grows beautifully in pots.<\/b> Perfect if you want to keep it near the kitchen for quick picking.

<\/p>\r\n

Herbal & Nutrient Value<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

The Mushroom Plant is a nutritional powerhouse<\/b> disguised as an ornamental shrub. The leaves are unusually high in protein (about 3% fresh weight)<\/b> \u2013 rare for a leafy green \u2013 as well as calcium (higher than spinach)<\/b>, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and B vitamins<\/b>.<\/p>\r\n

Eating it regularly means you\u2019re getting a boost for bones, blood, and immunity<\/b> without even thinking about it. It\u2019s a great plant for anyone who wants an easy, ongoing source of greens<\/b> that\u2019s genuinely nourishing.<\/p>\r\n

Traditionally, the plant has been used in its native range as a general tonic<\/b> food \u2013 something to \u201ckeep the body strong.\u201d While there\u2019s not a heap of Western research on it, the nutrition alone makes it worth having in your diet.<\/p>\r\n

Traditional & Home Remedies<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Leaf tea for vitality<\/strong> \u2013 Simmer handful of fresh leaves in hot water, drink daily.
Wound poultice<\/strong> \u2013 Crushed leaves applied to minor cuts or bites (traditional PNG practice).
Nutritive soup<\/strong> \u2013 Leaves added to broth for convalescents.

<\/p>\r\n

Using It in the Kitchen<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

As the name suggests, some people say Mushroom Plant has a mild mushroom-like flavour<\/b> \u2013 others think it\u2019s more of an earthy, spinachy taste. Either way, the leaves are crisp, fresh, and delicious.<\/b><\/b><\/p>\r\n

Eat it raw<\/b> \u2013 toss the young leaves into salads and sandwiches for crunch and a subtle earthy kick.
Cook it lightly<\/b> \u2013 stir it into stir-fries, curries, omelettes, or casseroles right at the end so it stays bright green and doesn\u2019t lose its flavour.
Treat it like spinach<\/b> \u2013 it\u2019s interchangeable in most recipes, but with the bonus of extra crunch.<\/p>\r\n

Harvest tip:<\/b> Snip 5\u201310\u202fcm stem tips rather than just plucking leaves \u2013 this encourages new, bushy growth.<\/p>\r\n

Storage tip:<\/b> Like most soft greens, it\u2019s best used fresh, but it will last a couple of days in the fridge wrapped in a damp tea towel.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"\r\n
Freshly harvested Mushroom plant\u00a0
leaves – delicious!<\/em><\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Simple recipes ideas:<\/b><\/p>\r\n

– Fresh Garden Salad Boost<\/b> \u2013 Toss Mushroom Plant leaves with lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and a citrus dressing for crunch and nutrition.
– Stir-Fry Pop<\/b> \u2013 Add leaves in the last 30 seconds of a veggie stir-fry for a glossy, bright green finish.
– Mushroom Plant Omelette<\/b> \u2013 Fold chopped leaves into beaten eggs with cheese and chives for a fresh, savoury breakfast.
– Herb & Leaf Sandwich<\/b> \u2013 Layer Mushroom Plant leaves with avocado and tomato for a crisp, earthy addition to lunch.
– Coconut Curry Greens<\/b> \u2013 Add handfuls of leaves to coconut-based curries right before serving for colour and extra nutrients.

<\/p>\r\n

Other Uses<\/b><\/h3>\r\n
    \r\n
  • Ornamental value:<\/b> Mushroom Plant has attractive foliage and delicate blue flowers, making it lovely for edible landscaping.<\/li>\r\n
  • Living mulch:<\/b> Its dense clumps shade the soil, helping keep weeds down and moisture in.<\/li>\r\n
  • Great for containers:<\/b> Grow it in a large pot on the verandah for instant \u201ccut and come again\u201d greens.

    <\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    Why it\u2019s a survival plant:<\/b><\/h3>\r\n

    Super easy to grow and propagate<\/b> \u2013 almost impossible to lose once established.
    Year-round greens<\/b> in warm climates, even when other salad plants sulk in the heat.
    Nutritious and versatile<\/b> \u2013 high protein, calcium, and iron make it a real asset in tough times.<\/p>\r\n

    This is the kind of plant that quietly keeps you fed, nourished, and healthy \u2013 no fuss, no drama, just leaves whenever you need them.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Mushroom Plant is a lush, perennial shrub with tender, edible leaves that bring a mild, earthy flavour to the table. Hardy, attractive, and endlessly giving, it\u2019s one of those \u201cwhy wouldn\u2019t you grow it?\u201d survival plants that produces nutritious greens nearly all year round.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":156,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[39,40,41,42,43,44,46],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-309","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-drought-resistant-plants","7":"product_cat-high-nutrition-plants","8":"product_cat-mulch-plants","9":"product_cat-pot-and-container-plants","10":"product_cat-salad-leaves","11":"product_cat-shade-loving-plants","12":"product_cat-stir-fry-plants","14":"first","15":"instock","16":"shipping-taxable","17":"product-type-simple"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=309"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=309"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/survivalfoodplants.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}