Coast Tea-tree

Scientific Name:

Leptospermum laevigatum

Coast Tea-tree flowers
Photo: A J Brown

Other Common Name:

Coastal Tea-tree

Status:

Native to South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria. Introduced to Western Australia.

Plant Description:

A grey-green shrub to small tree, growing from 2-8 m tall. Stems are fissured and the bark flakes in thin pale strips. Leaves are broad and blunt-tipped, to 3 cm long, stiff and flat.

Flowers are white and about 20 mm diameter. The flower-cup (calyx) is hairless. Fruit are non-woody and flat-topped capsules with 6-11 cells.

Habitat:

Common on coastal sands from Port Phillip and eastwards. Good tolerance of salt-spray conditions.

Comments:

There are about 83 species of Tea-tree in Australia and 17 species in Victoria. Many grow in wet conditions but are usually associated with saline soils. Widely planted in gardens, Coast Tea-tree can become weedy where it escapes and invades local indigenous habitat, such as in western Victoria, northern New South Wales and South Africa.

Coast Tea-tree trunk
Photo: A J Brown

Branches of Coast Tea-tree
Photo: A J Brown

Coast Tea-tree fruit
Photo: A J Brown

Coast Tea-tree leaves
Photo: A J Brown

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