Common Name:
Manuka, Tea Tree, Lepto’s.
Description:
A hardy shrub with upright branches covered in tiny leaves of green or red. Grown for the brilliant floral display in spring.
Flower:
Large, single deep pink flowers.
Size:
1.5m x 1m
Growing Conditions:
Leptospermum are naturally found in a wide range of conditions. They are found on mountains, exposed cliffs, coastal areas, swamps and dry areas.
Older plants are drought tolerant but they enjoy a frequent watering until established.
Plant them in full sun. This encourages plenty of flower production and helps maintain a tidy habit.
Care:
An annual prune will keep the plant neat and compact.
They can be prone to scale which in turn causes sooty mould to appear. There are fungicides available for the mould and spraying oil is perfect for the scale. Open, breezy and sunny spots are less prone to infection.
Uses:
- Leptospermum is a delightful shrub that is grown for the floral display. They are literally smothered in flower from spring.
- Can be planted as part of a native setting or used for colour in formal and shrub borders.
- They grow well in containers especially the smaller nanum series.
- Group plant for an attractive display on a bank or entrance way.
Comment:
L. scoparium which is the parent plant for many of the named cultivars grown in New Zealand is also spread throughout parts of Australia. Early voyagers and settlers used the dried leaves as a tea replacement; hence the common name ‘Tea Tree’.
There are so many colourful forms and in full bloom they are just a treat. They deserve a spot in any garden.