Tea Tree

Tea Tree 'Lipstick' (Leptospermum 'Lipstick') covers itself in small red and pink flowers, and it does it in the sort of thin, dry, exposed ground where most flowering shrubs sulk. It grows to about 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide, a genuinely useful size for a small garden, a low hedge or a large pot. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and salt tolerant, it is low maintenance in the honest sense.

Why you'll love it

• Massed red and pink flowers. Small five petalled blooms cover the fine foliage in spring, dense enough that the leaves disappear behind them.
• A size that actually fits. At roughly 1.5m each way it suits a courtyard, a front garden bed or a low hedge without becoming a chore.
• Hardy across most of the country. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and content in poor soil, a rare combination.
• Birds, bees and butterflies. The open flowers feed pollinators, and the dense twiggy structure shelters small birds.
• Very little upkeep. One trim after flowering, minimal water once established, and no feeding program.

Where it works best

Low hedging. Plant 1m apart for a dense informal hedge at 1.2m to 1.5m. Trim after flowering each year and it stays furnished to the base, unlike many natives that thin out at the bottom.

Small gardens and feature planting. A single plant works as a rounded feature shrub, and a group of three reads as a drift of spring colour.

Coastal gardens and pots. Salt tolerance makes it reliable in an exposed beachside garden. In a pot 400mm or wider it holds around 1m with light trimming.

Growing tea tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and the densest growth. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy, so cold southern and tableland districts are well within range. In humid summers, give it open air movement.

Soil. Free draining and on the lean side. Sandy, gravelly and poor soils suit it and need no improvement. Heavy clay is the one real limit, so plant on a raised mound with grit worked through.

Water and feed. Water twice weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Feeding is optional; if you do feed, use a low phosphorus native fertiliser at half rate in early spring, because too much nitrogen gives leaves at the expense of flowers.

Pruning. Trim immediately after flowering, taking no more than a third of the growth. Avoid cutting into bare old wood, since tea trees are slow to reshoot from it.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown as tube stock. Plants arrive young, fine stemmed and seedling sized rather than as a flowering shrub, and that is the sensible way to buy it. Tea trees establish quickly from a tube and often overtake a larger pot planted at the same time.

Plant within a few days of arrival into free draining ground, water it in well, and mulch lightly. Expect a quiet first month, then steady growth, with a light showing of flowers in the second spring and a full display from the third. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the range of Australian native shrubs.
• Compare our best hedging plants.
• See other salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens.
• Read about bird attracting natives.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Each plant spreads to about 1.5m, so 1m spacing closes the hedge without crowding, and keeps air moving between plants in humid weather.

How hard can I prune it?

Take up to a third of the current season's growth immediately after flowering. Do not cut into bare old wood, because tea trees rarely reshoot from it.

Will it handle frost and cold winters?

Yes. It is frost hardy and suited to cool temperate gardens, so cold southern and tableland districts are fine. Wet, poorly drained soil over winter is the bigger risk.