Manuka

Scientific Name:

Leptospermum scoparium

Manuka leaves
Photo: A J Brown

Other Common Name:

Broom Tea-tree

Status:

Australian native to Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. Also in New Zealand.

Plant Description:

Shrub to 2 m tall with close, firm bark and silky younger stems and softly hairy new growth. Leaves broad-lanceolate (spear-shaped) 7-15 mm long and 2-6 mm wide with incurved margins and a sharply pointed tip.

Flowers solitary, 8-12 mm diameter, white or occasionally pink or red. Flower-cup 2-3 mm long and hairless. Petals 4-7 mm long and stamens 2.5-3.5 mm long. Fruit 6-9 mm diameter.

Habitat:

Grows in rocky soils and heathy sands but also on the fringes of fresh-water swamps and along water courses.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Western, Gippsland	S0	W0, W1, W2, W3

Comments:

There are 80 species of Tea-tree native to Australia and 18 species listed for Victoria. Unlike Paperbarks (Melaleuca spp.), of which a number are salt tolerant, Tea-trees tend to be confined to fresh-water environments and many grow in quite dry habitats. Coast Tea-tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) is tolerant of salt-spray.

Manuka photos

Manuka flower
Photo: A J Brown

Manuka flowers
Photo: A J Brown

Manuka fruit
Photo: A J Brown

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