The Kakadu plum (also called gubinge or billy goat plum) is a small, pale-green fruit from the Top End — and most Australians have never tasted one. Yet it holds a remarkable record: one of the highest natural vitamin C concentrations ever measured in a fruit, often cited at up to 50 times that of an orange, weight for weight.
What exactly is a Kakadu plum?
Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) is a native Australian fruit that grows across the Northern Territory and the Kimberley. Depending on where you are in the north, you might hear it called gubinge, billy goat plum, or bush plum — all the same remarkable little fruit.
It’s been part of this country far longer than any of us: Aboriginal communities across northern Australia harvested Kakadu plum as a traditional bush food for thousands of years — a piece of Australian food history worth knowing when you taste it. You can read more about the fruit on Kakadu National Park’s own page.
The vitamin C story, in numbers
An orange — the fruit most of us treat as the vitamin C benchmark — carries roughly 50 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams. Laboratory analysis of Kakadu plum has recorded levels many times that, which is why the “up to 50 times an orange” comparison is so often quoted. It’s also naturally rich in ellagic acid and other antioxidants, and it’s the subject of ongoing research — the University of Queensland’s food institute has an entire program dedicated to this one fruit.
Kakadu plum grows wild across northern Australia — but we use farm-grown Kakadu plum powder, for the consistent quality every batch deserves.
Laboratory-tested — the proof
We don’t just quote the science — we test our own. Independent laboratory analysis of our Kakadu plum powder recorded 12.1% natural vitamin C — 121 milligrams in every gram. Testing confirmed it’s genuine Australian Terminalia ferdinandiana and passed every purity and safety check: heavy metals, lead and arsenic all under limit, clean on every microbial test. When we say laboratory-tested, we hold the certificate.
Why is everyone talking about it?
Beyond the vitamin C, the fruit itself is small — about the size of an olive — with a tart, refreshing taste somewhere between a green apple and a quandong. Too sour for most people to eat by the handful, which is why it’s usually enjoyed as a powder, in capsules, or blended into foods. Meanwhile, skincare labs around the world have made Kakadu plum extract a prized ingredient in serums and creams.
An Australian original
The tree is no relation to the plums in your fruit bowl — it earned the name from its plum-like look. It grows across the Top End, fruiting toward the end of the wet season. You’ll hear it called gubinge in the Kimberley, billy goat plum in the Territory, and Kakadu plum on labels around the world — but wherever you hear it, it’s the same uniquely Australian fruit, and no other country grows it.
How people use Kakadu plum today
- Kakadu plum powder — stirred into smoothies, juice, yoghurt or muesli for a tangy vitamin C kick
- Kakadu plum capsules — the no-fuss option for people who want the fruit in their routine without the tart taste
- Skincare — Kakadu plum extract has become a prized ingredient in serums and creams worldwide
- Food — chefs use it in jams, sauces and desserts celebrating native Australian ingredients
Our Kakadu plum range
At Real McArthur we’re proud to offer Kakadu Plum Capsules made with farm-grown Australian Kakadu plum — and our loose Kakadu plum powder is coming soon for the smoothie makers. As with everything we make: no nonsense, clearly labelled, Australian through and through.
Quick answers
Yes — gubinge is the Kimberley name for the same fruit. Billy goat plum is another name you’ll hear in the NT.
No — it’s a completely different plant family. The name comes from its plum-like shape and colour, not its relatives.
Tart and refreshing — think green apple with a bush-food edge. That’s why powder and capsules are the popular ways to have it.
Its recorded vitamin C concentration is among the highest of any fruit in the world, and it’s a uniquely Australian food with thousands of years of history.
Right here — our capsules are in the shop, with loose powder on the way.
From the Top End to your door — Kakadu plum, Australia’s own.
Shop Kakadu Plum →
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You can take it as Kakadu plum capsules today, and our loose Kakadu plum powder (80g) is coming soon.