Great Design Tree: Australian Tea Tree
I'm not even going to attempt to conceal the reverence and adoration I have for the Australian Tea Tree (Leptospermum laevigatum).
Wind blown and architectural, these trees appear to be molded by hand
rather than grown. They sweep wildly across the landscape, and no two
trees are ever alike. Growing up in San Diego, I would climb these trees
at my favorite beach, only later discovering the name. As it turns out,
Australian Tea Trees make for beautiful landscape design features in
more than just my childhood beach.
Botanical name: Leptospermum laevigatum
Common names: Australian Tea Tree, Coast Tea Tree
USDA zones: 9 to 11
Water requirement: Little to none
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 10 to 30 feet tall and wide
Tolerances: Drought; thrives in coastal conditions
Common names: Australian Tea Tree, Coast Tea Tree
USDA zones: 9 to 11
Water requirement: Little to none
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 10 to 30 feet tall and wide
Tolerances: Drought; thrives in coastal conditions
Distinguishing traits.
Australian Tea Tree is a showstopping specimen tree that exudes a
casual and understated aesthetic. The flaky gray bark and twisting form
of the tree's trunk are identifiers of the tea tree and what make it so
unlike any other. The trunk and bark only become more sculptural with age.
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Fine foliage and petite white
flowers softly contrast the coarse trunk of the tree, creating a
balanced juxtaposition. Flowering in spring, the tree produces a
dazzling display of small, white flowers throughout the stems and
leaves.
Photograph by Stephen Bain via Wikimedia Commons |
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How to use it. The
picturesque appearance of the tea tree, highly ornamental and
sculptural, makes it inherently a specimen tree. Given room and time to
mature, its limbs will only spread and twist more, creating a living
landscape sculpture and perfect shady landscape spot.
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Australian Tea Tree can also
be trained as a windbreak, a garden screen or a covered walk — shown
here at Lotusland in Santa Barbara, California. While this
treatment of the tree prevents its branching structure from taking
shape, fine leaves and flowers will still blanket its branches. This use
requires more labor to maintain.
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Planting notes. Native
to coastal climates, tea trees thrive in well-drained, slightly acidic
soil. The tree is susceptible to root rot if the soil is too moist. Long
living and quick growing, Australian Tea Tree requires little
additional care once established. If you let it grow out completely, you
can thin areas to emphasize its shape; otherwise it requires little
pruning.
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