Melaleuca

Paperbark or Tea Tree

Melaleuca plants are commonly known as ‘Tea Tree’, ‘Paper Bark Tree’ and ‘Honey Myrtles’ and with a range in the species of nearly 200 they come in forms from low growing (1m) to small to medium sized trees (30m).

Many are garden worthy plants with good green foliage year round and some tall growing with masses of colorful flowers in summer. Others are suited as ground cover plants, M. incana nana being one such variety. It reaches around 1m in height and features small yellow flowers from spring into summer depending on the climate.

Some species are grown commercially for the essential oils, Melaleuca alternifolia is the plant that tea tree oil comes from. Others are grown as windbreaks, hedges and as ornamental plants. Some such as Melaleuca flugens have attractive colourful flowers.

With over 200 species they are related to Callistemon, however they naturally occur in low lying damp areas, often along slow moving streams in coastal situations.

How To Grow Melaleuca – Basic Care

With such a wide ranging natural habitat from tropical Queensland to the Dry areas of Western Australia it is surprising that so many of these plants are adaptable to a range of conditions.

Generally speaking a moist soil and a sunny position are best for Melaleuca. They are a plant that can be pruned to shape. If pruning is carried out from an early stage garden plants can be trained to a nice bushy shape or a hedge. Many species respond to hard pruning as well and will recover from being cut right back.

Although they generally require little fertilizer, Melaleuca plants can cope with a little slow release fertiliser once a years and seem to respond well.

Having attractive foliage and nice flowers as well as being attractive to native birds Melaleuca are popular in native gardens.

Melaleuca Species

• Melaleuca acacioides is used ti make Kulbanyi tea and it has been used for generations to treat colds, aches and flue.
• M. alternifolia – used for its essential oils, known as Tea Tree, and Narrow Leafed Paper Bark.
• M. diosmatifolia – also known as the ‘Rosey Paperbark’, purple flowers and from 2 -3 meters, a good garden plant that responds to light pruning from a young age.
• M. diosmifolia – the green honey myrtle
• M. ericifolia
• M fulgens – low growing and known as the ‘Scarlet Honey Myrtle’, used in hybridisation so purple to red flowers are also found. A good garden plant
• M. incana – from Western Australia 3m with creamy white flowers
• M. trichostachya
• M. nodosa – 2 – 3m with bright yellow flowers, a good garden plant
• M. quinquenervia – a large tree to 25m

• M. nesophila – from Western Australia also known as the ‘Showy Honey Myrtle’, 3 – 5 metres with purple to red globe shaped flowers from spring through summer. Can be pruned from young to make a good garden shrub
• M. thymifolia – small shrub to 1m with pink flowers
  
• M. halmaturorum also known as the ‘salt paper bark’,
• M. hypericifolia or ‘Red Flowering Paper Bark’ has a slight weeping habit
• M. styphelioides or ‘Prickly-Paperbark’ is pictured right.
• M.viridifolia – A small tree with red flowers.

Where To Buy

Best for Screening & Hedges

Melaleuca bracteata ‘Revolution Gold’ (Golden Honey Myrtle)
Fast-growing with dense, bright golden foliage. Ideal for colourful screening.

Melaleuca armillaris (Bracelet Honey Myrtle)
Very fast-growing (to ~8 m). Tough, adaptable, and excellent for windbreaks.

Melaleuca armillaris ‘Space Saver’
Narrow, upright form—ideal where width is limited.

Melaleuca lanceolata (Moonah / Black Tea Tree)
Dense, drought-tolerant and coastal hardy. Great for informal hedges (4–10 m).

Melaleuca ericifolia (Swamp Paperbark)
Dense, fine foliage. Excellent screening plant for wet or coastal sites.

Melaleuca quinquenervia (Broad-leaved Paperbark)
Large tree with thick canopy. Best for large-scale privacy and wet soils.

Melaleuca nesophila (Showy Honey Myrtle)
Rounded shrub (3–5 m) with decorative purple flowers. Better as a feature screen than tight hedge.

---

Best for Small Gardens & Colour

Melaleuca thymifolia (Thyme Honey Myrtle)
Compact (1–1.5 m), long flowering, handles wet and sandy soils.

Melaleuca thymifolia ‘Cotton Candy’
Compact and floriferous with soft mauve tones.

Melaleuca linariifolia ‘Claret Tops’
~1.5 m shrub with striking red new growth.

Melaleuca incana (Grey Honey Myrtle)
Soft grey foliage, excellent contrast plant, tolerates pruning.

Melaleuca hypericifolia (Hillock Bush)
Bright orange-red flowers—great for colour in native gardens.

Melaleuca trichostachya ‘Pink Tips’ 
This is a compact form of the species itself reaching around 1m in height. Excellent hedging or border plant.

---

Best for Wet Soils & Feature Trees

Melaleuca linariifolia (Snow-in-Summer)
Masses of white flowers; adaptable to both wet and dry soils.

Melaleuca preissiana (Stout Paperbark)
Attractive bark and structure; thrives in waterlogged conditions (5–10 m typical).

Melaleuca viridiflora (Broad-leaved Paperbark)
Open habit; good for wetlands, especially red-flowering forms.

Melaleuca rhaphiophylla (Swamp Paperbark)
Bushy small tree (~10 m), ideal for swamps, saline soils, and waterways

Melaleuca halmaturorum (Salt Paperbark)
Highly tolerant of saline and waterlogged soils, useful in difficult sites

---

Pruning

• Prune lightly after flowering to maintain density and shape
• Most species do not reshoot well from old wood
• Tip pruning when young improves hedge density significantly

---