Burgundy Queen Tea Tree

Burgundy Queen Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparium 'Burgundy Queen') smothers itself in fully double, deep burgundy flowers through spring and settles at a manageable 2m tall by 1.5m wide. The fine dark foliage looks tidy for the other eleven months of the year, and the plant underneath is genuinely tough: frost hardy, drought tolerant, wind tolerant and comfortable in poor soil.

Why you'll love it

• Double flowers, not single. Each bloom is a tight burgundy rosette rather than the flat five petalled tea tree flower, and they cover the branches rather than dotting them.
• Hardy in the ways that matter. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt and wind tolerant, and untroubled by poor or gravelly soil.
• A size that actually fits. At 2m by 1.5m it slots into a courtyard, a front garden bed or a large pot without needing constant cutting back.
• Birds, bees and butterflies. Nectar rich flowers pull in honeyeaters and pollinators through the spring flush.
• Low maintenance. One light trim after flowering is the whole annual job.

Where it works best

Informal hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row for an informal hedge at 1.5m to 2m. It knits together without ever reading as a clipped formal wall, which suits a cottage or native garden better than a sheared hedge would.

Coastal gardens. Salt and wind tolerance make it a reliable second row plant behind a windbreak, or a front garden shrub on an exposed block.

Pots and small gardens. Its compact frame suits a 400mm or larger container in a sunny courtyard.

Feature planting. One plant in flower carries a small bed on its own, and the dark foliage works as a foil for silver and grey leaved natives.

Growing Burgundy Queen Tea Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering. Part shade is tolerated but you lose flower numbers and the habit opens up. It grows well in cool temperate, warm temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens, so it suits everywhere from Hobart and Melbourne through to the New South Wales coast and south east Queensland. Humid wet season tropics are not its climate.

Soil. Free draining is the one non negotiable. It handles sand, gravel and poor ground happily, but sits badly in waterlogged clay. On heavy soil, plant on a raised mound and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring. Standard garden fertilisers are too rich in phosphorus for it.

Pruning. Trim lightly straight after flowering, taking no more than a third of the new growth. Tea trees do not reliably reshoot from bare old wood, so keep it in shape from year one rather than trying to rescue a leggy plant later.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tube, 140mm and 200mm sizes, plus 25L and 45L for instant effect. The 140mm packs of ten and 200mm packs of six are the value choice for a hedge run: young single stemmed plants that establish quickly and catch up to larger stock within two seasons. The 25L and 45L plants are already branched and flowering size.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect a settling in fortnight, then fresh growth within four to six weeks in the warmer months. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full Australian native range
• Compare hedging and screening plants
• More flowering shrubs for garden beds
• How to prepare a new garden bed

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. That spacing closes into a soft informal hedge in two to three seasons without crowding the roots.

Is this the same plant as manuka?

Yes. Leptospermum scoparium is the manuka of the honey trade, indigenous to both New Zealand and south eastern Australia. 'Burgundy Queen' is an ornamental selection grown for its double flowers rather than for honey production.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. Use a 400mm or larger pot with free draining mix, keep it in full sun, and water more often than you would a plant in the ground. Pots dry out fast in summer and this plant will not forgive a completely dry root ball.

How hard can I prune it?

Light and often. Trim after flowering and stay in the green growth. Cutting back into bare woody stems usually leaves a permanent gap.