LEPTOSPERMUM. Tea tree. Interesting shrubs and small trees of Australia and New Zealand, far more variable than currently popular selections would suggest. They have attractive corky, usually light colored bark, round to needle-like leaves and showy—though often small—five-petalled flowers with dark centers. Sun, well drained soil, moderate to little watering when established. The following are hardy to around 20oF except as described.
laevigatum ‘Reevesii Compacta’. Dwarf, slowly growing selection of the Australian Tea Tree, probably never exceeding 3-4’. Its 1" leaves are closely set, broadly oval and greyish green in color. Flowers, if they appear at all, are white.
rotundifolium ‘Manning’s Choice’. L. rotundifolium has long been one of my favorites of the group, combining picturesque habit, unusual foliage and very large, showy flowers. This selection, from Manning Heather Farm, is certainly one of the best I have seen. It is a full, roundish shrub, probably about 6’ when mature, and has strongly angled branches. These are closely set with small, nearly round, dark green leaves. In spring it makes a lavish display of 1" broad-petalled blossoms, dark lavender pink with lighter shading towards the dark green centers.
rupestre (humifusum). This is one of the smallest and hardiest of the leptospermums. It is completely prostrate in this selection, with short, closely branched stems forming a low mat. The leaves are small and broadly oval in outline, with deep green coloring. The flowers, never very abundant, are under ½” broad and pure white in color. It should endure temperatures of 15oF.
scoparium. This is the common tea tree of commerce. It is usually a bushy, nearly erect shrub, with many slender stems closely lined by lance-shaped to needle-like leaves (softer than they look), usually under 1" long. They may begin their flowering season anytime from October to March, displaying masses of waxy 5-petalled flowers, ½-1" broad. The petals are white to crimson in color, the centers usually darker, and shiny, like tiny pools of liquid. They are useful for individual display or in large shrubby borders and screens. Hedging eventually results in a tired, woody look.
Of the taller cultivars (usually 8-10’ in mature height), ‘Candy Cane’ is distinguished by almost fully double, bright pink flowers with darker outlining. ‘Crimson Glory’ and ‘Ruby Glow’ have heavily maroon-tinged leaves and deep red semidouble flowers. ‘Helene Strybing’ is more open, with longer, greyer leaves and exceptionally large pink single flowers (they are rather dark during cool weather, lighter with more warmth and sunshine); and ‘Pink Pearl’ has greener foliage and fully double white flowers opening from soft pink buds. A recent hybrid by Ray Collett, received from the UCSC Arboretum, is ‘Silver and (or &?) Rose’. This is exceptional in its combination of compact habit, bright grey-green foliage and rose pink flowers.
Among the so-called dwarf selections, ‘Gaiety Girl’ was the first to arrive in California. It is a pretty, compact plant, upright-oval in form, and growing about 6’ high (considerably more than originally stated). It has red-tinged leaves and deep pink semidouble flowers. ‘Nanum Tui’ is smaller, rounder and very dense. It has lighter green leaves and pale pink flowers with a darker midrib on each petal. A few cultivars are fully prostrate. ‘Horizontalis’ lies flat on the ground and has nearly triangular, dark green, rather shiny leaves. The flowers are single and plain white in color. ‘Pink Cascade’ is actually weeping in habit and–true to its name–will cascade nicely over rocks and banks. It has large single pink flowers which open deep pink, lightening as they age.
turbinatum (originally received as L. nitidum) ‘Flat Rock’. Shining tea tree. A bushy, spreading shrub, probably 4-6’ high at maturity. It has silky grey-green leaves, bronze-tinted in new growth. These are lance-shaped and a little over 1” long. The flowers are white and about 1/2" broad. ‘Flat Rock’ will require more moisture than many leptospermums but should be a few degrees hardier. It is part of a continuous stream of interesting plants from the UCSC Arboretum.