BACKHOUSIA citriodora Lemon Myrtle (Lemon-Scented Myrtle)

Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is the Australian rainforest tree behind the lemon myrtle in your pantry, and its leaves carry a cleaner, more intense lemon scent than any citrus. Left to grow it forms a dense evergreen tree of about 6m tall and 3.5m wide, clothed in glossy leaves and topped with creamy white flower through summer. This listing is an advanced ex ground specimen: a field grown tree that gives a garden real presence on the day it goes in.

Why you'll love it

• The scent is remarkable. Brush past it or crush a leaf and the lemon comes off in a wave, which is why it belongs beside a path or an entry.
• A genuine bush food. The leaves are the culinary lemon myrtle used in teas, dressings and baking, harvested fresh or dried from your own tree.
• Dense and evergreen. Foliage holds from low down and stays all year, so it screens as reliably as it shades.
• Native, and busy with wildlife. Summer blossom brings bees and native pollinators, and small birds shelter in the dense canopy.

Where it works best

Feature and shade planting. As a single specimen it makes a well proportioned small shade tree for a courtyard, lawn or entry, with a canopy broad enough to sit under.

Screening and hedging. Planted as a run, space trees 2m apart for a fragrant screen. It clips readily and holds anywhere between 2m and 5m, which makes it a more interesting hedge than the usual choices.

Growing Lemon Myrtle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate tree that revels in heat and humidity and tolerates coastal salt. It takes light frost only, so cold inland and hard frosting southern gardens are not suitable.

Soil. Deep, well drained soil enriched with compost gives the best growth, though it copes with ordinary garden ground. It will not tolerate waterlogging, so mound the planting on heavy clay and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. A newly transplanted advanced tree needs consistent water: deep soakings two or three times a week through the first two summers, then weekly in dry spells. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring and late summer, and keep it organic if you plan to harvest leaves.

Pruning. It responds well to being cut and reshoots from old wood. Tip prune after flowering to thicken the canopy, and take harvest cuttings as light pruning through the warm months.

What to expect when it arrives

This is a single ex ground tree, grown in the field and lifted with a root ball rather than raised in a pot. Ex ground stock gives you scale no container can match, and it comes with conditions: the root ball is heavy, it needs specialist handling, and it must go into a prepared hole promptly rather than sit on the driveway.

Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost and delivered Australia wide, and site access for machinery needs sorting before dispatch. Expect leaf drop and a still first season while the roots re establish. Our 30 day healthy plant guarantee applies.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to establish a transplanted tree
• Browse the ex ground tree range
• Compare other edible and bush food plants
• Australian native trees for feature planting

Common questions

Can I cook with the leaves straight away?

Yes. Pick mature leaves, use them fresh or dry them slowly out of direct sun, and store them whole. Take only light amounts in the first season while the tree is re establishing.

How is an ex ground tree different from a potted one?

It is grown in the ground and lifted with its root ball, so you get far more tree for the money and instant scale. In exchange it needs machinery to place, prompt planting and attentive watering for two summers.

How cold can it handle?

Light frost only. An established tree shrugs off an occasional light frost in a sheltered spot, but repeated frosts damage the foliage and check growth.