western australia

The beautiful Leptospermum or tea-tree

Leptospermum

@JudyEv (336680)

Rockingham, Australia

October 13, 2022 3:55am CST

I thought I should write more about this beautiful example of an Australian native, the leptospermum. The leptospermum or tea-tree genus ranges from prostrate shrubs to small trees. The flowers show five conspicuous petals. It is now widely cultivated as a garden shrub and is available in single- or double-flowered types. You can choose from white, pink or red bushes. The foliage is quite sharp and often aromatic. The tea-tree name comes because early settlers would infuse the leaves of some species to make a herbal tea. Such drinks were rich in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). On our Donnybrook farmlet, we had several bushes of Leptospermum as the kangaroos didn’t like them. The top photo is from our house-sit at Yabberup and the lower two photos were taken in our garden at Donnybrook before we sold the property.

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16 responses

@DaddyEvil (137232)

• United States

13 Oct 22

I think you and Vince should have gotten slips of each color and started them in tubs to keep at your new house. They're very pretty.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

I guess that's what we should have done. I'm not sure if they grow from slips or not. I want to take some cuttings from the pelargoniums that are here. There are some really pretty colours.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

@DaddyEvil Thanks for that. I didn't really know about the watering bit and then letting them dry out.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

@DaddyEvil Ah yes, but now I don't have to.

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@Beestring (14316)

• Hong Kong

13 Oct 22

Wow, those are beautiful plants.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

When the season is kind to them, they have a great many flowers and the bees love them too.

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@Beestring (14316)

• Hong Kong

13 Oct 22

@JudyEv That's lovely.

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@rebelann (112550)

• El Paso, Texas

14 Oct 22

They are stunning. I'll have to see if I can find at least one to plant here.

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@rebelann (112550)

• El Paso, Texas

14 Oct 22

This part of TX rarely gets snow but every few years I've seen maybe a half inch or so. Our night can get pretty cold though.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

They probably don't like snow but I think Texas doesn't get snow maybe.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

@rebelann It would cope with the odd frost I think.

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@xFiacre (12882)

• Ireland

13 Oct 22

@judyev A plant as pretty as that requires a prettier Latin name.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

At least it's one I can pronounce and remember.

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@Kandae11 (54959)

•

13 Oct 22

A cup of herbal tea rich in vitamin C. I would love that.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

I used to take ascorbic acid tablets once.

Patricia Ocampo

@iKONICNoona (4179)

• Philippines

13 Oct 22

Wow they are beautiful. Are they still doing it as herbal tea ? Have you tried them too?

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

I don't think it's still being done. You might be taking a risk as I'm not sure you could do it with all of them.

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@BarBaraPrz (46726)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

13 Oct 22

I especially like the pink ones. I wonder what part is used to make tea-tree oil and how difficult it is to do. I also wonder if they'd grow in Canada.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

They probably wouldn't like intense cold and snow. You can't get oil from these. The tea-tree oil comes from a Melaleuca tree.

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@BarBaraPrz (46726)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

13 Oct 22

@JudyEv Thanks.

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@shaggin (71986)

• United States

13 Oct 22

Do they make tea tree oil from it as well? My favorite is the one in the top photo.

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@shaggin (71986)

• United States

14 Oct 22

@JudyEv oh okay thanks. I hate the smell of tea tree oil

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

The oil is made from a different tree - the Melaleuca.

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@snowy22315 (178259)

• United States

13 Oct 22

Very nice plants with an interesting history.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

Thanks. They seem to be really doing well this year. At least the one here is.

@MALUSE (69373)

• Germany

13 Oct 22

Have you used the leaves or blossoms to make tea?

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@MALUSE (69373)

• Germany

14 Oct 22

@JudyEv I'm sure you can find info on the net on which trees have leaves and/or blossoms you can make tea from without risking your health. I remember that in the post-war years my grandparents went for walks and came back with lots of plants they made tea of. For example, camomile tea was never bought, but always collected from the wayside.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

No, I haven't. I'm not sure that all the varieties are safe to make tea from. Probably they are but I'm not going to risk it.

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@Ronrybs (18723)

• London, England

13 Oct 22

I always have some tea tree oil handy for those minor scrapes

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

Tea-tree oil is good for those sort of wounds but, despite the name, it actually comes from the melaleuca plant.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Oct 22

@Ronrybs Maybe 'Melaleuca oil' wouldn't fit on the label!

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@Ronrybs (18723)

• London, England

14 Oct 22

@JudyEv Makes you wonder how they got it so wrong!

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Krissttina Isobe

@oahuwriter (26777)

• United States

14 Oct 22

Very nice. It's a kangaroo chaser away plant?

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

Kangaroos eat a lot of garden plants but thankfully not this one.

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Krissttina Isobe

@oahuwriter (26777)

• United States

15 Oct 22

@JudyEv I see, so they flourish and makes places graceful and be pretty.

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@CarolDM (203422)

• Nashville, Tennessee

13 Oct 22

Love these trees. I like the way they sort of drape like a canopy.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Oct 22

The pink one drapes beautifully. The ones I had were stiffer somehow.

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@CarolDM (203422)

• Nashville, Tennessee

16 Oct 22

@JudyEv I really like the look of these trees.

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@Rimps85 (1695)

• India

13 Oct 22

those are some gorgeous pics...

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

Thanks. I'm glad you like them.

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@Rimps85 (1695)

• India

13 Oct 22

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@Juliaacv (50711)

• Canada

13 Oct 22

They are stunning.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

The one here is a mass of flowers. Hopefully the ones at our old place are too.

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@LindaOHio (173541)

• United States

13 Oct 22

They're all very pretty.

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@JudyEv (336680)

• Rockingham, Australia

13 Oct 22

I think the pink one is my favourite.

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