Leptospermum EPACRIDOIDEUM

Leptospermum EPACRIDOIDEUM - Epacris Tea Tree, Heath Tea Tree, Leptospermum epacridoideum, New Zealand Tea Tree.

Can be grown in bonsai style!

Leptospermum, or tea tree, is a genus of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), comprising about eighty-five species. The vast majority of them are endemic to Australia, while a few species originate from New Zealand and Southeast Asia, where the plants inhabit heaths, sandy plains, rocky slopes, and watercourse banks.

The shrubs branch densely, and the bark on old branches is rough, often peeling in strips. Leaves are small, stiff, sessile or on a very short petiole, containing essential oils and emitting a pleasant fragrance when crushed.

Flowers are five-petaled, resembling small stars or wild rose flowers, white, pink, or red, borne singly in leaf axils and profusely covering the shoots. The fruit is a dry woody capsule that opens by valves, with numerous very small seeds.

Epacris tea tree is a rare species, endemic to a small area of the southern coast of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a compact, more or less erect dense shrub only 1-2 m (3.3-6.6 ft) tall.

Leaves are very small, broadly elliptic or nearly orbicular, 2-3 mm (0.08-0.12 in) long and about 2 mm (0.08 in) wide, on a short thick petiole, densely crowded on the shoots. Flowers are solitary, white or pink, 6-10 mm (0.24-0.39 in) across, opening on short lateral branchlets. The main flowering occurs in late summer and early autumn.

Leptospermum seeds are exceptionally fine, almost dust-like - which is why the genus received its botanical name. Soaking them is impractical: such seeds are easily lost in liquid and damaged, so the substrate itself is sanitized: before sowing, it is drenched with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and slightly dried. Scarification and stratification are not required.

Sowing is carried out on the surface of a moist acidic substrate without lime, with the addition of sand or perlite - the seeds are only lightly pressed onto the surface without burial. The sowing is moistened with a spray bottle using a growth stimulant solution: SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminosol, Epin, or Zircon, covered with film or placed in a propagator, and germinated in light, but not in direct sun, at room temperature 20-24 °C (68-75 °F) with daily ventilation.

First seedlings under favorable conditions appear in about 3 weeks; primary germination usually takes 1-2 months, and individual seeds may be delayed up to three months. Seedlings develop slowly and are sensitive to surface desiccation. Prick-potting is carried out after the formation of several true leaves, into individual small pots with acidic substrate.

© Greeniverse. All rights reserved.

Leptospermum requires a bright sunny location. In summer, it is beneficial to move the plant outdoors to a bright, warm spot sheltered from strong winds.

In winter, cool, bright wintering at a temperature of 4-10 °C (39-50 °F) is necessary - it is precisely what ensures profuse flowering in the following season. In warm conditions during winter, the plant stretches out, drops leaves, and hardly flowers.

During the growth period, watering is abundant, strictly with soft water - Leptospermum does not tolerate lime. Desiccation of the root ball is fatal to it, but stagnant water is likewise unacceptable. The plant responds well to misting with soft water in hot weather.

The substrate must be acidic, loose, and aerated, free of lime: ready-made soil for rhododendrons and azaleas or a mixture of acidic peat, leaf mold, and coarse sand with the addition of perlite is suitable. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the pot. Repotting is carried out in spring as the pot fills with roots, carefully, preserving the root ball.

Fertilizing is performed once every two weeks during the active growth period using fertilizer for rhododendrons or another formula for acid-loving plants. During dormancy, no fertilizers are applied.

The plant tolerates pruning well and is easily shaped into a compact bushy specimen, which is why it is eagerly grown in bonsai style. In addition to seeds, Leptospermum is propagated by semi-lignified cuttings in spring.