Melaleuca alternifolia

Melaleuca alternifolia subsp. var.	Narrow-leaved Paperbark, Tea-tree, Snow-in-summer
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Melaleuca alternifolia, commonly known as Narrow-leaved Paperbark, Narrow-leaved Tea-tree, Narrow-leaved Ti-tree, or Snow-in-summer, is a species of tree or tall shrub in the plant genus Melaleuca. It grows along streams and on swampy flats.

Leaves are linear, 10-35 mm long and 1 mm wide. White flowers occur in spikes 3-5 cm long. Small woody, cup-shaped fruit are 2-3 mm in diameter.

An evergreen Shrub growing to 6m by 4m.

It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower in June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

Cultivation

Requires a fertile, well-drained moisture retentive lime-free soil in full sun[182]. Prefers a soil that does not contain much nitrogen[188]. Plants are shade tolerant and succeed in most soils and aspects except dry conditions when they are grown in Australian gardens[157]. This species is not very cold hardy and is only likely to succeed outdoors in the very mildest parts of Britain. It tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[157] but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. Seed takes about 12 months to develop on the plant, the woody seed capsules persist for 3 or more years[200]. Any pruning is best done after the plants have flowered with the intention of maintaining a compact habit[200]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in spring or autumn onto a pot of permanently moist soil in a warm greenhouse. Emmerse in 5cm of water and do not water from overhead. Grow on until the seedlings are 0.5cm tall then remove from the water and pot up a week later. Seedlings are liable to damp off when grown this way, sowing the seed thinly, good ventilation and hygiene are essential for success[200]. Grow the plants on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe lateral shoots with a heel, July/August in a frame[200].

Gallery

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References

• Plants for a Future - creative commons text incorporated

External links

• w:Melaleuca alternifolia. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Melaleuca alternifolia QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)