Australian bush foods have been appearing on more and more plates across the world.

Key points: Australian bush foods have been embraced by local and international chefs

Australian bush foods have been embraced by local and international chefs They are found in many environments — but some are under threat by over-development

They are found in many environments — but some are under threat by over-development The bush foods industry is understood to be worth about $20 million

But unbeknown to most Australians, these foods — some which have been part of the Indigenous diet for generations — are all around us.

Take a stroll down to the beach and you might find pigface, a plant that produces an edible fruit, while native mint can grow endemically in southern Australia.

But despite the abundance of some foods, other species are under threat as cities expand and the climate gets hotter.

Now Aboriginal corporation First Hand Solutions has launched a project, known as IndigiGrow, to educate residents about common natives and their uses.

IndigiGrow founder Peter Cooley said he hoped the project would inspire all Australians to protect their local flora.

"Across Australia the bush foods industry is just waking up," Mr Cooley said.

"We have 6,500 bush foods [in Australia] and at the moment, only about 20 have been developed for commercial markets."

Peter Cooley teaches children about native edible plants in his Sydney nursery ( ABC News: Isabella Higgins )

The bush foods industry is believed to be worth about $20 million, largely driven by overseas demand for just a few products.

Finger limes and lemon myrtle have become lucrative export crops, while wattle seed and Kakadu plums are popular products domestically.

Mr Cooley said many of these native plants had been used as food and medicine for generations, but were largely unknown to the broader community.

Indigenous representation in the supply chain is less than 1 per cent, according to industry group Bushfood Sensations.

"We don't have a great foot in the market," he said.

"But we want to see this as a way forward for individuals, small businesses, our community to grow."

So, where can I find them?

Pigface grows prolifically in coastal areas of Australia, fruits grow underneath the flowers. ( ABC News: Isabella Higgins )

Mr Cooley said pigface grew prolifically along many Australian beaches.

"We used to spend a lot of time as kids eating it after school," he said.

"It produces a flower to start with, it'll swell up and the base will go red and then it'll have a fruit you can pull out.

"We'd race home after school trying to pick the ripe fruit."

Mr Cooley said the plant was often used as a remedy for skin irritation.

Traditional owners have used pigface leaves to treat irritated skin and burns for generations. ( ABC News: Isabella Higgins )

"It's got aloe vera-like qualities," he said.

"It's quite good for burns, and it's right there on the beach. Great if you're sunburnt at the beach, pick a leaf and inside the leaf there's a lot of moisture … you just rub it on."

Saltbush

Saltbush has gained popularity in recent decades and featured prominently on popular TV cooking shows.

It can be crushed up in baking but also used fresh, mixed through salad and other dishes.

Saltbush has become popular in Australia's foodie scene, it grows well in coastal areas. ( ABC News: Isabella Higgins )

"Saltbush can grow among almost anything, especially your more arid areas," Mr Cooley said.

"The main flavour from the leaves is obviously salt, but it's got a lot of uses."

'Five corners' berry

These berries grow on an endangered sub-species of the eastern suburbs banksia, in the Sydney area.

"This is a very special and talked-about plant for our old people," he said.

"It took me almost 50 years before I got to taste the fruit."

Wild "five corners" berries. Traditional owners say they are rarely found anymore. ( ABC News: Isabella Higgins )

Mr Cooley launched this project to try and protect the plant — one he has struggled to cultivate even in his bush nursery.

"I hope I'll be able to get berries of these [plantings] in the future, because it's so special to my mother and all of our old people," he said.

"It's devastating for us, to see many of our old foods disappear."

Finger lime

Finger lime has a sour citrus taste, good for salads and desserts ( ABC News: Isabella Higgins )

Finger limes are native to southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, and one of the most common natives to be cultivated for commercial use.

It is marketed as "citrus caviar," for the fruit's small, pearl-like fruit, with a taste very similar to common lemons and limes.

Horticulturist Bruce Thompson, who has been involved in cultivating bush food for decades, said many natives could supplement the traditional western diet.

"We have grass in Australia that can be turned into flour, so kangaroo grass, wallaby grass … but also a lot of edible citrus," he said.

"You've got native guava, native passionfruit, the finger limes, instead of traditional lemons and limes."

Native mint

This plant can grow endemically in southern Australia.

According to Mr Thompson it is a straight-up Australian alternative to more the well-known peppermint and spearmint.

He said using native varieties in cooking also made for more sustainable gardening.

"Australians are very dispossessed from our knowledge of plants, but if we let the plants grow that are endemic to the area, you bring back that diversity into the whole ecosystem," he said.

"If you let wattles come up, they'll feed nitrogen into the soil and help all your other plants.

"You can ensure biodiversity isn't affected by your activity as a gardener ... but you can actually help to maintain it."