Melaleuca alternifolia - Tea tree

Melaleuca alternifolia, better known as the Tea Tree, is an Australian evergreen bush with fine, light and aromatic foliage. It is renowned for its tea tree essential oil with purifying properties, valued for its rapid growth and decorative foliage. Its rather discreet flowering in fluffy white spikes attracts pollinators. A lover of warmth and resistant to sea spray, it can be acclimatised in Mediterranean coastal gardens, where it forms beautiful hedges or shrub borders. Elsewhere, it adapts very well to pot cultivation and makes a lovely conservatory or orangery plant, provided it is overwintered in a bright and not overheated space.

The Tea Tree belongs to the Myrtaceae family, a cousin of myrtles and bottlebrushes. Native to Australia, it is endemic to the coastal regions of south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales. It is notably found along the Clarence and Richmond rivers. In its natural habitat, it thrives in marshy areas, along watercourses and on floodplains, often in dense stands. This bush or small tree reaches between 4 and 6 m in height at maturity in the ground, with a spread of about 3 to 4 m. When grown in pots, its dimensions are more modest, generally reaching 1.5 to 2.5 m in height with a spread of 1 to 1.5 m. Its growth is moderate to fast, with an annual increase of 40 to 60 cm under optimal conditions. It has a bushy crown and a trunk with parchment-like, smooth, pale bark that peels in thin flakes. Its foliage is evergreen in winter, consisting of alternate leaves, sometimes arranged in whorls. These leaves are linear and narrow, measuring 10 to 35 mm in length and about 1 mm in width. Their soft and smooth texture hides numerous essential oil glands which, when crushed, release a characteristic and powerful aroma. Melaleuca alternifolia mainly flowers in spring and early summer, between May and July, earlier or later depending on the climate. Its inflorescences take the form of 3 to 5 cm long terminal or axillary spikes, made up of numerous small white or cream flowers. Each flower has five small petals and long prominent stamens, giving the inflorescence a fluffy appearance. The fruits that follow flowering are woody, globular to cup-shaped capsules, measuring about 2 to 3 mm in diameter and containing numerous small seeds. These capsules remain attached to the branches after the seeds are released. The root system of Melaleuca is well adapted to wet environments. Shallow and widely spreading, it allows it to efficiently absorb water in the marshy environments where it grows naturally.

Melaleuca alternifolia is famous for the essential oil extracted from its leaves, known as tea tree oil. This essential oil is prized in aromatherapy and phytotherapy for its powerful antimicrobial and antifungal properties, making it a staple in natural care and cosmetics.

Melaleuca alternifolia adds a lovely touch of exoticism and softness to Mediterranean and coastal gardens. It can be planted as a standalone specimen, in an informal hedge or in a shrub border. Grown in pots, it becomes a decorative terrace plant during the summer season. It pairs perfectly with Leptospermum scoparium 'Snow Flurry', or Manuka, Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens', or Bottlebrush, and Westringia fruticosa, or Australian Rosemary. By combining these species, you can create a garden with a natural and wild style, reminiscent of Australian landscapes.