Cardwell Tea Tree

Cardwell Tea Tree (Leptospermum flavescens 'Cardwell') is the weeping native that turns into a cloud of small white flowers in late winter and spring. It grows quickly to about 2.5m tall and 2m wide, with fine arching foliage that softens a fence line instead of walling it off. For a screen that still looks like a garden, it is one of the easiest Australian plants to use.

Why you'll love it

• A screen with movement. The weeping habit filters a view and moves in the breeze instead of standing like a clipped block.
• Smothered in flower. Small white blooms cover the whole plant in late winter and spring, when very little else is doing much.
• Fast to useful height. It is a fast growing native, so a 2.5m screen is realistic within a few seasons rather than a decade.
• Coastal and salt tolerant. Salt spray, wind and humid coastal air suit it, which is why it works on exposed beachside blocks.
• Birds and pollinators. Nectar rich flowers bring in honeyeaters, native bees and butterflies.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a soft informal screen. Ten plants at that spacing run out to roughly 13 metres of boundary, and six cover about 7 metres.

Informal hedging. It clips well enough for a relaxed hedge at 1.5m to 2m, though the weeping shape is the point, so a light trim beats hard shearing.

Coastal gardens and feature planting. A single specimen makes a fine feature near a deck, and a loose group of three reads as a natural thicket.

Growing Cardwell Tea Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest growth and the heaviest flowering. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant that takes light frost only, so cold tableland and inland southern gardens will find it marginal without a sheltered warm aspect.

Soil. Not fussy about type, but it needs drainage, and sandy coastal soils suit it perfectly. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound with compost through the bed, and mulch 75mm deep clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off, as it is genuinely drought tolerant once established. A low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring is all it needs, since standard fertilisers carry too much phosphorus for this family.

Pruning. Trim straight after flowering, taking no more than a third of the growth. Tea trees are reluctant to reshoot from bare old wood, so light regular trimming keeps a hedge dense.

What to expect when it arrives

Cardwell Tea Tree is sold in 140mm packs of ten and 200mm packs of six, both sized for planting a run rather than a single specimen. The 140mm plants are young and single stemmed, the cheaper way to cover a long boundary. The 200mm plants are branched, a season further along, and close a screen faster.

Fine foliage can look flattened or a little dry after transit, which is normal for the family and recovers within a fortnight of being watered in. Expect new growth in four to six weeks of warm weather. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Planting and maintaining a healthy hedge
• Compare screening plants from 2m to 4m
• Browse Australian native shrubs
• See coastal and salt tolerant plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One and a half metres apart in a single row. Each plant spreads to about 2m, so that spacing gives real overlap without crowding the bases and thinning the lower foliage.

How fast does it grow?

It is a fast growing native, and in a warm garden with water through the first two summers most plants reach useful screening height in two to three seasons.

Can I cut it back hard if it gets too big?

Better not to. Tea trees rarely reshoot from bare old wood, so a hard cut back can leave lasting holes. Trim lightly after each flowering instead.