Leptospermum scoparium

Manuka, Black or Broom Teatree

See Leptospermum continentale. Locally L. scoparium is taller and leafier than Prickly Tea-tree.

Additional information

• FamilyMyrtaceae
• StoreyMiddle storey
• Size2-5 m x 1.5-3 m
• Plant groupingShrubs 1.5-10 m
• LeavesLeaves are narrowly elliptic to almost circular, broadest near the middle, 7-22 mm x 2-7 mm.
• Flower colourWhite
• Flowering timeDecember to March
• FlowersOpen flowers to 14 mm, sepals hairless, capsules broadly hemispherical, flaky as age.
• Bird attractingInsects
• Butterfly attractingNectar for butterflies
• Frog habitatNo
• Growing conditionsMoist soils along watercourses and in damp forests, woodlands and heathlands. Full sun to semi shade.
• Garden useA good screening and habitat plant due to its prickly nature. There are many coloured cultivars in the nursery trade. These have been developed from the New Zealand form.
• Commercially availableIndigenous nursery
• Conservation statusSignificant within the Shire. Known from very few local sites. Scattered outside the Shire boundary.
• Aboriginal Use Wood - spears, pegs
• Related speciesSee Leptospermum continentale. It differs in having wider leaves which are broadest in the middle.

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