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Myrtaceae
New Zealand Tea Tree
Leptospermum scoparium
Healing and purity.
- Family
- Myrtaceae
- Genus
- Leptospermum
- Native to
- New Zealand, Australia
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- evergreen shrub
- Height
- 6-15 feet
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, acidic
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 8-10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Manuka honey, produced from the flowers of this plant, has unique antibacterial properties and is used medicinally worldwide.
- Captain James Cook brewed the leaves as a tea to prevent scurvy among his crew, which is how it got the name 'tea tree.'
- Manuka honey can sell for over $100 per jar due to its medicinal methylglyoxal compound found in no other honey.
- The plant is a pioneer species that quickly colonizes disturbed land, including areas after volcanic eruptions.
- In Maori tradition, the wood was used to make tools, paddles, and weapons due to its hardness and durability.
Color meanings
0
healing
1
purification
2
resilience