Sitting pretty
Evergreen, drought-tolerant and oh so lovely, tea-trees usher in spring with a profusion of blossom that attracts bees and other pollinators, writes AB BISHOP
Native, drought-tolerant tea-trees burst into early spring blossom that attracts birds, bees and butterflies
They’re one of the prettiest of the early spring-flowering shrubs and trees, and a tea-tree in bloom never fails to set my heart aflutter. The show seems to happen almost overnight, with masses of small blossoms smothering the plant in white, pinks, mauve or red. Bees and other pollinators love them as much as we do, and in gardens where every plant has to earn its keep, these nectar-laden beauties have lots to offer. They are evergreen, drought tolerant and low maintenance, and come in a range of sizes and shapes.
There are 87 species of tea-tree (Leptospermum spp.) in the world, and nearly all of them are found right here in Australia. The common name references the fact the leaves from manuka (L. scoparium) were used by white settlers as a substitute for tea. Nectar from this plant is what makes the famous manuka honey.
And while their name suggests that they’re trees, many are actually small to medium, low-maintenance shrubs with dense, open or weeping habits. There are dwarf, compact varieties you can clip into topiary balls or use to define paths or garden bed edges. There are also groundcovers, such as the coast-hardy ‘Julie Ann’, which is a prostrate form of the round-leaf tea-tree (L. rotundifolium). This waterwise choice is a good one for smothering weeds or preventing erosion.
Small shrubs often develop a sprawling habit, and with their nectar-rich, insectattracting flowers, these really are the quintessential cottage garden plant. Some cultivars have been hybridised with the bright pink-flowering New Zealand form of L. scoparium (the Australian form of
L. scoparium tends to be white to light pink), but other Aussie species also bring the all-important ‘wow’ factor.
Use taller varieties as informal hedges or screens, or allow them to develop a tree-like structure. Weeping tea-tree
(L. madidum) is an 8m-tall feature tree suitable for tropical and subtropical gardens that needs no input from you to mature into a distinctly willow-esque form. Slender tea-tree (L. brevipes), on the other hand, is a 4–5m shrub with an open, broad habit that can be ‘encouraged’ into an elegant tree by removing its lower branches. The dark bark and masses of small pinkish buds and white flowers lend it a distinctly Japanese appearance, especially with the addition of the bright green cushion bush (Scleranthus biflorus) and a few strategically placed rocks.
CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE
A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) feeds on a native pink tea-tree flower (L. scoparium); L. flavescens ‘Cardwell’ is an evergreen with delicate blossoms and a beautiful weeping habit that brings texture and movement to a garden bed.
care & cultivation
Tea-trees are adaptable to most soils, but generally prefer those that are well drained, acidic and moist. Many species don’t mind being inundated with water for extended periods but, obligingly, will also tolerate dry spells, although they’ll be cheerier with supplementary watering.
Tea-trees need full sun to light shade to grow well, and will suffer if planted in heavy shade. All but the northern species cope with heavy frost and snow.
Regular pruning is needed to keep leptospermums in shape. Avoid doing a hard prune on old established plants as they may not come back! Once your plant has reached the desired size, each year, straight after flowering, cut off the entire flowering stems. Plants will respond with lots of new growth, which will produce next year’s flowers.
As with all plants, tea-trees grown in their preferred conditions won’t be targeted as much by pests and diseases. The most problematic of tea-tree pests is the webbing caterpillar, found all over Australia. These foliage feeders seem to prefer smaller-leafed tea-trees, especially L. scoparium, which includes most of the showy pink-flowered forms. The caterpillar hideaway is a mass of leaves glued with webbing and eventually filled with frass (droppings). Don’t waste time or money with sprays; just cut off the entire mass, stomp on it and dispose of it.
Scale insects can be problematic and they are usually accompanied by unsightly black sooty mould that grows on scale’s sweet exudate. If practical, don your gloves and scrape the scale off. Alternatively, spray with white oil in early spring when the insects are mobile.
Borers can attack tea-trees and, if left unchecked, they can eventually kill a plant. You may notice small piles of ‘sawdust’ on the ground or branches. Remove any dead branches as they won’t regrow. Insert thin wire into holes to kill any larvae that haven’t already matured into adult moths or beetles and flown away.