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Teatrees - genus Leptospermum - Information about Australia's Flora
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Home > Gardens | CANBR > Botanical Information > Growing Native Plants > Leptospermum

Leptospermum polygalifolium      family MYRTACEAE

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Variable, often rounded shrub 1—4 m high by 1—3 m across, with light green, oblong leaves to 5—20 mm long. Profuse white flowers, 1—2 cm in diameter, occur in late spring and summer. A semi-prostrate form is also in cultivation. It rarely exceeds 60 cm and spreads to 1.5 m. Six subspecies are now recognised, but some of these tend to merge into each other and no attempt is made here to describe the differences.

Distribution: NSW, Qld.

Propagation From seed or cuttings. Propagate from good forms.

Cultivation See note on genus. Variable in the amount of flowers produced. Superior forms make outstanding shrubs. The low-growing form is very useful as a large rockery plant. The 'Cardwell' form with weeping habit is a favourite for tropical and subtropical gardens and grows well in cooler climates. It is recognised as L. polygalifolium ssp. tropicum.



text from 'AUSTRALIAN NATIVE PLANTS, 4th ed'
by Wrigley & Fagg, Reed Books, 1996