Melaleuca

( meh - luh - LOO - kuh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of flowering evergreen shrubs and trees is native to Australia and needs full sun and little water. They are known commonly as Paperbarks, Honey-Myrtles or Tea Trees. The flowers will attract birds to your garden. Leaves are narrow and needle-like and clustered flowers have prominent stamens. Woody seed capsules follow flowers. Many species have beautifully contorted branches and peely bark. They make great screening plants and larger species do well as shade trees.

Melaleuca Species and Varietals

The genu smelelMelaleuca growing zones vary depending on the species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Melaleuca armarillis (Drooping Melaleuca)
This species takes the form of either a shrub or a tree and grows well in zones 8, 9, 12-24, H1 and H2. As a shrub, it has a sprawling habit and reaches 12-25 feet tall and 15-30 feet wide. As a tree, it reaches 15-30 feet tall and wide. This species has drooping branches, hence the common name, and grey peeling bark. leaves are light green and flowers are fluffy and white, blooming spring through fall. Great as a clipped hedge or informal screen. It also makes a great barrier plant; leaves are spiky.

Melaleuca decussata (Lilac Melaleuca)
This species grows well in zones 9, 12-24 and H1 and can be grown as a shrub or tree. These plants reach 8-20 feet tall and wide and have brown bark. Leaves are green-blue and flowers are lilac to purple. They bloom from late spring through summertime. Mass for foliage in the garden. Thin to show off branching character.

Melaleuca hypericifolia (Dotted Melaleuca)
This species takes the form of a shrub, reaching 6-12 feet tall and 3-12 feet wide with thin, peely grey bark. Dotted Melaleuca grows well in zones 9, 12-24 and H1. Flowers pop late spring through winter and are bright red, appearing in clusters. Leaves are copper-green to dull green. Can be hedged, but performs best as an informal, unclipped screening plant.

Melaleuca incana (Gray Honey Myrtle)
This species can take the form of a shrub or a tree, and has a spreading, arching habit. It grows well in zones 8, 9 and 12-24. Foliage is furry and grey and flowers are yellow-white, blooming in springtime. Can be shaped into a small tree, but naturally grows as a sprawling shrub.

Melaleuca linariifolia (Flaxleaf Paperbark)
This species is a tree that grows best in zones 9, 13-24 and H1. It reaches 20-30 feet tall and 20-25 feet wide, and has whitish bark. Leaves are bright green to bluish-green and are stiff. Flowers form in spikes and are white; younger plants need staking until established.

Melaleuca nesophila (Pink Melaleuca)
This species can be a tree or a shrub, and is best in zones 13, 16-24, and H1. Reaches 15-20 feet in a short amount of time; Branches are gnarled and heavy, and leaves are bark is grey-cream to pale brown in color. Flower clusters are mauve-pink and fade to white. Great as a tree or large, informal screen. Can tolerate rocky, poor soil and desert heat. Needs little to regular water.

Melaleuca styphelloides (Prickly Paperback)
This species grows as a tree 20-40 feet tall and 10-20 feet wide. It grows well in zones 9, 13-24 and H1 and has an upright, open habit. Bark is spongy, pale tan (aging to charcoal) and peels off in layers. Leaves are light green and flowers are creamy white. Great in any soil and resistant to oak root fungus. Great as a multiple-trunked lawn tree.

Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cajeput Tree, Paperbark Tree)
This species of tree grows well in zones 9, 12, 13. 15-17, 20-24, H1 and H2. It has an open growth habit reaching 20-40 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide. Bark is spongy, light brown, and peels off in sheets. Leaves are pale green and turns purple in frost temperatures. Summer to fall flowers are yellow-white (though pink and purple varieties are available), and this plant makes a great street tree.​

Melaleuca thymifolia (Thymeleaf Melaleuca)
This species takes the form of a shrub and grows well in zones 8, 9 and 12-24. It has a spreading habit, reaching just 4-8 feet wide and 2-4 feet tall. Bark is cork-like and greyish brown and leaves are blue-green and fragrant when crushed. Flowers appear spring through summer in clusters of white, pink, deep mauve, or dusky purple. Likes acidic soil but can tolerate many different soils. Prune after flowering to keep the plant compact. Can handle occasional drought but performs best with regular water.

Melaleuca wilsonii (Violet Honey Myrtle)
This species is best in zones 8, 9, and 12-24. It reaches 3-10 feet tall and 5-12 feet wide with a spreading or arching habit. Leaves are narrow and dark green, flowers are pinkish-purple. Can be pruned as a hedge, and there is a low-growing variety that makes a great groundcover. Can handle hard frosts and flooding, as well as extended dry spells. Looks best with regular waterings.

Caring for and pruning Melaleuca shrubs

This genus of trees and shrubs is considered easy to grow, and can withstand heat, poor soils, high winds, and limited moisture. Plant your shrub in full sun to partial shade; the more sun these get the more they will flower. They prefer well-draining soil that has a pH of between 4.5 and 7.0. Keep soil consistently moist, especially as these shrubs are getting established in your landscape. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out between waterings. Feed with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer once in springtime and again in the middle of summer. These are vigorous and fast-growing, controlled best via cutting back of selected branches to a well-placed side branch.

Propagation

​Melaleuca can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Melaleuca by Cutting
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch semi-hardwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
  3. Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
  4. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
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Propagating Melaleuca by Seed
  1. Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
  2. Harvest your seeds. Once the seed pods have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
  3. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Melaleuca seeds capsules can be held along branches or bunched together in clumps.
Melaleuca seeds.

Problems and Pests

Melaleuca shrubs are generally resistant to pests and disease.
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Gallery

Plant these shrubs in mixed beds along entry areas where their flowers can be admired.
These shrubs vary in foliage and flower color, and can pair well with many other plants.
The grey foliage and branches of Melaleuca incana, or Grey Honey Myrtle, stand out well against a green backdrop.

Videos

How to prune and harvest Lemon Tea Tree.

Resources

How to Plant, Grow and Care for Melaleuca quinquenervia
Wikipedia: Melaleuca
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Pages 438 - 440, Melaleuca
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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