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Lemon Scented Myrtle

Backhousia citriodora
$45.95 $77.95

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Starter plant

Typically 15 to 30cm tall on arrival. Size guide

Potted plants

Typically 20cm to 1.2m tall on arrival.

Advanced plants

Typically 1.2 to 2.5m tall on arrival.

Specimen and mature stock

Typically 2.5m plus. Freight confirmed before dispatch.

This size is on backorder. Want it the moment it lands back from the farms?

Good to know: pot sizes, availability and delivery
  • Sizes are pot sizes, not plant heights. A 200mm pot is the width of the container. Typical plant heights per size are in the size guide.
  • Every order is availability checked. If anything cannot be supplied as listed, we contact you within 2 business days with the closest equivalent, the option to wait, or a refund. You choose.
  • Delivered Australia wide. Live plants packed for transit, no minimum order. Details on the delivery page.
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Delivery
  • Fast, reliable delivery Australia-wide
  • Orders are prepared at the nearest distribution centre to you
  • Flat-rate delivery from $29.95 for standard items
  • Larger plants and trees are delivered via nursery truck from $149.95

FAQs

Can I pick up my order?

No. We operate as an online-only nursery and do not offer customer pickups.

Can I delay delivery?

Yes. Add your preferred delivery timing in the order notes at checkout.

What if I’m not home for delivery?

Your order will be left in a safe location at the delivery address.

What if my plants don’t arrive healthy?

Every order is covered by our 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee.

Lemon Scented Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) earns its place twice: once as a dense evergreen screen, and again as the most intensely lemon scented leaf you can grow. In a garden it settles at around 6m tall and 4m wide, well short of the 20m it reaches in Queensland rainforest, and it carries creamy white flowers through late summer that bees and small birds work over. Brush past it and the whole corner smells of lemon.

Why you'll love it

  • Scent you can use. The leaves are a genuine bushfood, and one crushed leaf carries further than a whole lemon tree.
  • A screen and a feature at once. At 6m by 4m it fills a boundary; grown on a single trunk it becomes a shapely small shade tree.
  • Wildlife earn from it. Cream and white flower masses bring in bees, butterflies and nectar feeding birds.
  • Tougher than it looks. Drought tolerant once established, comfortable in humidity, and salt tolerant enough for gardens back from the beachfront.
  • Low maintenance. No spraying regime, and it takes a hard prune if it outgrows its spot.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row. Trimmed twice a year it holds at 3m to 4m and stays furnished low down; left alone it lifts into a small multi trunked tree.

Feature planting near a path. Site it where people brush past: a back step, a path, an outdoor table. The scent only releases when leaves are touched, so a plant at the back of a bed wastes half of what it offers.

Growing Lemon Scented Myrtle in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with the strongest leaf oil in an open sunny spot. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant. It takes light frost once established but not much more, so gardeners in Canberra or the tablelands should pot it against a warm north facing wall.

Soil. It wants soil that holds some moisture but drains freely. Heavy clay needs a raised mound and generous compost through the bed. Mulch 75mm deep, off the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep water twice a week for the first two summers while the roots build, then it carries itself through dry spells. Feed with a controlled release native fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning and harvest. Tip prune from the first year to build density low down, then trim a hedge after flowering and again in early autumn. Pick mature leaves any time and dry them flat out of the sun. The concentrated essential oil is not safe for cats, so keep bottled oil away from pets.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in eleven sizes, from tube stock and 140mm through 200mm, 250mm, 300mm and 400mm pots to 25L, 45L, 100L, 200L and 400L. Tube and 140mm plants suit a long hedge run: fast to establish and a fraction of the price of advanced stock. From 100L up they are semi advanced trees.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect little movement for the first month, then a strong flush once the roots take hold. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

Common questions

How big does it actually get?

Around 6m tall by 4m wide over time, not the 20m quoted for wild rainforest trees. Trimmed as a hedge it sits easily at 3m to 4m.

Can I use the leaves in cooking?

Yes. They are a well established Australian bushfood used in teas, marinades and baking. Use them sparingly, as the flavour is far stronger than lemon zest.

Will it grow in Melbourne or Perth?

Perth gardens generally suit it, given drainage and summer water. Melbourne is marginal because of frost, so grow it in a large pot and protect it through winter.

Plant details

Mature height6m
Mature width4m
PositionPartial Shade, Full Sun
Water needsModerate
Growth rateModerate, Fast
FoliageEvergreen
FlowersCream, White
Native toEastern Australia
ClimateTropical, Subtropical, Warm Temperate
ToleratesLight Frost Only, Humidity Tolerant, Drought Tolerant, Coastal & Salt Tolerant
SpacingPlant 1.5m apart for a dense screen

Great for

Feature PlantingScreening & PrivacyHedgingShade TreeAustralian NativeFragrantEdibleBee & Butterfly FriendlyBird AttractingLow Maintenance

Compare similar plants

Lemon Scented Myrtle against the rest of the australian native trees range

Mature sizes are typical in Australian gardens; growth rate and position are from the plant details on each page.

PlantRatingMature heightMature widthGrowth ratePositionFrom
Lemon Scented Myrtle
Lemon Scented MyrtleThis plantBackhousia citriodora
 ★★★★★(17) 6m 4m Moderate, Fast Partial Shade, Full Sun $45.95
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See the whole australian native trees range

Common questions about Lemon Scented Myrtle

  • How tall does Lemon Scented Myrtle grow?

    Lemon Scented Myrtle reaches about 6m tall at maturity and about 4m wide.

  • Does Lemon Scented Myrtle need full sun or shade?

    it grows best in partial shade, full sun.

  • How much water does Lemon Scented Myrtle need?

    water needs are moderate.

  • How fast does Lemon Scented Myrtle grow?

    it has a moderate, fast growth rate.

  • Which Australian climates suit Lemon Scented Myrtle?

    it suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate climates and tolerates light frost only, humidity tolerant, drought tolerant, coastal & salt tolerant. Check the planting calendar for the best month in your region. Planting calendar

  • How far apart should I plant Lemon Scented Myrtle?

    Plant Plant 1.5m apart for a dense screen. The hedge calculator works out the number of plants for your length. Hedge calculator

  • Is Lemon Scented Myrtle safe around pets?

    Yes, Lemon Scented Myrtle is listed as pet friendly.

  • What size will my Lemon Scented Myrtle arrive at?

    Typically 15cm to 2.5m or more tall on arrival, depending on the size you choose. The size picker on this page shows the typical height under each size group. Heights vary with the season and the batch. Size guide

  • How is Lemon Scented Myrtle delivered?

    Packed upright and delivered Australia wide. Freight is quoted at checkout with multiple freight companies and passed on at cost, and the grower confirms your plants before anything is booked. Most plant orders arrive within 3 to 7 business days of dispatch.

  • Is Lemon Scented Myrtle covered by a guarantee?

    Yes. Every plant is covered by the 30 day healthy plant guarantee: if it arrives in poor shape, send a photo within 30 days and we sort it out with a replacement or a refund. Read the guarantee

Loved by Australian Gardeners

★★★★★ Rated by verified customers across Australia

Customer Reviews

Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 17 reviews.

Customer photo review of Lemon Scented Myrtle - Backhousia citriodora

Our 'new' Lemon Scented Myrtle looks fantastic in the middle of our front lawn. I will consult with Brisbane Nursery to ensure that we aren't 'over/under watering' in the early stages of planting. Leaves are 'drooping' a little .. but may be due to windy conditions. Flowers are emerging. I'm very pleased with our choice of tree.

Ken D. 5/5 Verified

Lemon Scented Myrtle - Backhousia citriodora

lovely tree, good size. Delivery on time.

Lorraine T. 5/5 Verified

Lemon Scented Myrtle - Backhousia citriodora

Store owner replied: A 100L lemon myrtle makes a real statement from day one, Lorraine, and you can start picking leaves for tea and cooking straight away.

very good and convenient.

Yan J. 5/5 Verified

Lemon Scented Myrtle - Backhousia citriodora

Store owner replied: Glad it was an easy one for you, Yan. Crush a leaf between your fingers next time you walk past and you'll get that wonderful lemon scent.

My tree arrived in excellent condition and health. Delivery was at night which I now realise was good to avoid the heat of the day.

Matthew W. 5/5 Verified

Lemon Scented Myrtle - Backhousia citriodora

Store owner replied: Great to hear your lemon myrtle arrived in such good health, Matthew. You're right, a cooler trip is easier on a big tree. Keep it well watered through its first summer while the roots spread out.

After you order

What happens next

  1. 1Order confirmedYour confirmation email arrives straight away.
  2. 2Grower confirms stockWe check your plants are ready at the nursery before anything is booked.
  3. 3Freight bookedYou get the carrier and the delivery window by email.
  4. 4Delivered to your doorPacked upright and delivered Australia wide.

30 day healthy plant guarantee on every plant, every size.

BeforeThe same garden at two to three years, designed from the customer photo
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BeforeAt 2 to 3 years

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Clusters of round, white fluffy flowers with long stamens and glossy green leaves adorn the Lemon Scented Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), an Australian native tree prized for its fragrant foliage.

Lemon Scented Myrtle - Backhousia citriodora

From $45.95 $77.95

Mature height

4m to 8m

Mature width

2m to 4m

Position

Partial Shade, Full Sun

Water needs

Moderate

Growth rate

Moderate, Fast

Foliage

Evergreen

Flower colour

Cream, White

Climate

Tropical, Subtropical, Warm Temperate

Tolerates

Light Frost Only, Humidity Tolerant, Drought Tolerant, Coastal & Salt Tolerant

Great for

Feature Planting, Screening & Privacy, Hedging, Shade Tree

Spacing

Plant 1.5m apart for a dense screen

Pet friendly

Yes
View product