Tea Tree

Tea Tree 'Tickled Pink' (Leptospermum 'Tickled Pink') is an Australian native shrub that flowers hard and asks for very little in return. It settles at about 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide, a dense mound of fine evergreen foliage smothered in small pink flowers, and it does that in poor soil, in salt wind and through frost.

Why you'll love it

• A heavy flowering native. The pink display covers the whole plant rather than sitting on the tips, and the fine foliage looks tidy between flushes.
• Manageable size. About 1.5m each way suits a suburban bed, a low informal hedge or a large pot, without the height a full sized tea tree brings.
• Built for hard sites. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and comfortable in poor soil, so difficult corners and coastal blocks suit it.
• Feeds local wildlife. Bees, butterflies and small honeyeaters all use the flowers, which makes it a genuine addition to a native or habitat garden. One light trim after flowering is the entire annual job.

Where it works best

Informal hedging. Plant 1m apart for a soft flowering hedge to about 1.5m. Tea trees respond well to a light shear, so this makes a boundary that flowers instead of just screening.

Feature and border planting. Single plants hold a rounded shape and carry the flowering season on their own, so one in a native bed does plenty of work.

Coastal gardens and pots. Salt tolerance makes it a reliable coastal shrub, and a 500mm container suits a courtyard or sunny balcony.

Growing tea tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, always. Shade thins the plant and cuts flowering back sharply. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy once established. In humid subtropical summers, keep it in an open position with airflow.

Soil. Free draining is the priority, and it takes genuinely poor, sandy or gravelly soil without complaint. On clay, plant on a raised mound and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring. Standard garden fertilisers carry too much phosphorus for this family and can damage the roots.

Pruning. Trim lightly straight after flowering, taking no more than a third of the new growth. That keeps it dense and sets up the next season. Never cut back into bare old wood, because tea trees do not reliably reshoot from it.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in a single size, tube stock. A tube is a young plant, usually 15 to 25cm tall with a fine root system, and it is the sensible way to buy a native shrub: small plants establish faster than large ones and quickly overtake them.

Do not expect flowers in the first few months. Plan on a season of root growth, a clear size increase in the first full summer, and a proper display in the second year. Some leaf drop after transit is normal for fine leaved natives. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete leptospermum care guide
• Browse the Australian native shrub range
• Compare plants that feed bees and butterflies
• Native plants that attract birds to the garden

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row gives an informal flowering hedge to about 1.5m. For a looser, more natural grouping in a native bed, stretch that to 1.5m between plants.

What fertiliser should I use?

A low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring. Members of this family are sensitive to phosphorus, and a standard complete fertiliser can burn the fine roots and set the plant back.

Can I cut it back hard?

No. Trim lightly after flowering and stay in the leafy growth. Cutting into bare old wood usually leaves a permanent gap, because tea trees rarely reshoot from it.