Melaleuca ‘Little Red’

Melaleuca 'Little Red' (Melaleuca 'Little Red') is a compact Australian native that does the work of a low hedge and flowers while it does it. It sits at about 1.2m tall and 1.2m wide, covered in fine soft foliage, with red brush flowers through the warmer months that bring honeyeaters in. It handles frost, drought, salt and wet ground, a rare combination in a shrub this size.

Why you'll love it

• A low hedge that flowers. Red brushes appear on the new growth through the warmer months, so a clipped border still puts on a display.
• It copes with both extremes. Drought tolerant once established and wet feet tolerant, so it holds up in a dry summer and in a corner that stays damp after rain.
• Compact by nature. At 1.2m by 1.2m it stays in scale beside a path or a driveway without constant cutting back.
• Birds, bees and butterflies use it. The nectar rich flowers are worked by honeyeaters and small native bees.

Where it works best

Low hedging. Plant 80cm apart. The plants close into a continuous line without crowding, and you can hold the hedge between 60cm and 1.2m with two light trims a year.

Mass planting and borders. The same 80cm spacing suits a block planting along a fence line or a nature strip.

Coastal gardens. Salt tolerance and a low wind resistant profile suit a front garden near the water.

Feature planting. As a single shrub it makes a neat rounded mound for a native bed or beside a rainwater outlet.

Growing Melaleuca 'Little Red' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering and densest habit, and part shade gives a more open plant with fewer flowers. This is one of the most widely adapted shrubs we sell, at home in tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and arid or semi arid gardens. It is frost hardy, so cold southern and inland districts are within range.

Soil. Almost anything. It handles poor sandy ground and heavy clay alike, and unlike most drought tolerant shrubs it tolerates wet feet. Work compost through the bed and mulch 75mm deep, off the stems.

Water and feed. Deep water twice a week through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring, because melaleucas do not need rich feeding.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density from the base, then trim the spent brushes and take a light cut over the whole plant after each flush. Avoid cutting hard into bare old wood.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is currently grown in a single size, tube stock, on backorder at the time of writing. A tube is a young single stemmed plant that suits a hedge or a mass planting, because a run establishes quickly and evenly. Expect useful hedge size in the second to third season.

Tubes travel well, with a compact root plug that goes straight into the ground. Plant out promptly rather than holding them in the tube, and keep the water up through the first summer. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Identifying and caring for melaleucas
• Compare the rest of the melaleuca range.
• Browse other Australian native shrubs.
• See more bird attracting plants.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a low hedge?

Eighty centimetres apart in a single row, which closes the line while leaving each plant room to fill out.

Will it handle frost?

Yes. It is frost hardy and suits cool temperate and inland gardens as well as warm ones. Young plants in their first winter benefit from a little shelter.

Does it cope with a wet spot in the garden?

Better than most. Melaleucas naturally grow in seasonally wet ground, so this one tolerates saturated soil while also being drought tolerant. Permanent standing water is still too much.