Leptospermum scoparium Nanum Tui - Tea-tree

Leptospermum scoparium 'Nanum Tui' is a new variety of tea tree that is particularly compact and has a naturally rounded silhouette. Abundant flowering from spring to summer, it scatters pretty little tender pink flowers along its branches, somewhat waxy in appearance, almost masking its very fine foliage of bronze and burgundy red. Native to Australia, it is admittedly tender but tolerates poor soils and drought. Its cultivation in open ground is reserved for mild climates and soils low in limestone, but it accepts pot cultivation allowing it to be stored over winter in colder regions.

Originating from the extreme southeast of Australia and New Zealand, Leptospermum scoparium, also known as Tea tree, is a cousin of Mediterranean myrtles, clove trees, and Eucalyptus. It belongs to the same family, the Myrtaceae, and shares with these plants a love of heat. It grows naturally in regions with a mild oceanic climate but also in dry forests, most often on mineral-poor, leached, rather acidic soil.

The cultivar 'Nanum Tui' is distinguished by its particularly compact habit and its white flowers with a bright pink median line, which appear pale pink. This bush with a rounded habit, 1 m (3 ft) high and wide, has fairly rapid growth. It bears slightly aromatic, alternate, single, pointed, quite small leaves not exceeding one centimetre long, dark green in colour, with bronze and purple tinges. The flowers, slightly scented, honey producing and rich in nectar, appear from April-May to July (sometimes from March to December in warm climates). They are composed of 5 petals surrounding a dark heart and do not exceed 1.5 cm (0.6 in) in diameter. They are followed by tiny capsules releasing fine elongated seeds. This bush can be lightly pruned after flowering, from May to July.

The 'Nanum Tui' tea tree is hardy down to -6°C (21.2 °F) but the aerial parts can be damaged from -3°C (26.6 °F). It needs a sheltered spot, in full but not scorching sun. It copes well with sea spray, which makes it a very beautiful bush for seaside gardens. Although it prefers neutral to acidic soils, it also tolerates slightly alkaline soils according to some experts, provided they are light, silty and properly drained. Leptospermum 'Nanum Tui' can be planted in a border alongside other ericaceous plants. It can also be used to create a low evergreen hedge in the company of Tarente Myrtle, cistus, compact ceanothus, Myrsine africana, Callistemons and other Grevillea. In regions with cold winters the plant should be grown in a pot and kept frost-free throughout the winter.