Australian Native Plants

  Leptospermum myrsinoides (Heath Tea-tree)


Leptospermum myrsinoides photo
Leptospermum myrsinoides flowers

Photograph by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble. Some rights reserved.    (view image details)



Growth Characteristics information is sourced from: State Flora Catalog, Government of South Australia Licensed under Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license.



HEATH TEA-TREE FACTS

distribution map showing range of Leptospermum myrsinoides in Australia

Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License


Common Name
Heath Tea-tree

Other Names
Silky Tea-tree

Description
The Heath Tea-tree is a shrub growing 1 m to 2 m tall. The leaves are small and narrow and grow 0.5 cm to 1 cm long and up to 3 mm wide. Flowers are produced in spring from October to November. The flowers are white or pink with 5 petals and up to 15 mm in diameter. The fruit capsules are about 5 mm in diameter.

Habitat
mallee, heath, on wet soil

Distribution
The Heath Tea-tree is found in Victoria, south eastern South Australia., south east New South Wales,

Growth Characteristics
Height (m): 1 - 4
Spread (m): 1 - 4
Soil Texture: sand, loam, clay
Soil pH: acid soils, neutral soils
Frost Sensitivity: resistant
Minimum Rainfall (mm): 450
Flower Colour: white
Flower Season: spring

(source: SA State Flora Catalog)

Classification
Class:Magnoliopsida
Order:Myrtales
Family:Myrtaceae
Genus:Leptospermum
Species:myrsinoides
Common Name:Heath Tea-tree


Relatives in same Genus
  Leptospermum brachyandrum
  Leptospermum continentale
  Leptospermum coriaceum
  Leptospermum erubescens
  Leptospermum grandiflorum
  Leptospermum laevigatum
  Leptospermum lanigerum
  Leptospermum liversidgei
  Leptospermum macrocarpum
  Leptospermum morrisonii
  Leptospermum nitidum
  Leptospermum obovatum
  Leptospermum petersonii
  Leptospermum polygalifolium
  Leptospermum rotundifolium
  Leptospermum rupestre
  Leptospermum scoparium
  Leptospermum spectabile
  Leptospermum squarrosum
  Leptospermum turbinatum