Leptospermum scoparium Red damask - Tea-tree

Leptospermum scoparium 'Red Damask',  known as tea tree or Manuka, is a delightful evergreen Australian bush with a compact habit, admittedly a bit frost-sensitive, but not fussy about soil type, and drought resistant. It blossoms from spring to summer in beautiful, long-lasting blooms of a deep red, evoking very double little roses, arranged all along its branches. Its foliage, very fine, is delicate and aromatic. It has a beautiful dark green colour that highlights its crimson flowers. Cultivation in the ground will be reserved for mild climates, but it accepts pot cultivation very well, to be sheltered over winter, allowing gardeners in colder climates to enjoy its generous flowering throughout the season.

Originating from the extreme southeast of Australia and New Zealand, Leptospermum scoparium, also known as tea tree, is a cousin of Mediterranean myrtles, clove trees and Eucalyptus. It belongs to the same family, the Myrtaceae, and shares with these plants a love of heat but also foliage that is rich in essential oil. It grows naturally in regions with a mild oceanic climate but also in dry forests, most often on soil poor in minerals, leached, and rather acidic.

The cultivar 'Red Damask', of modest size, is distinguished by its much more compact habit and its double red flowers. This bush with its rounded habit, 1.30 to 1.50m (4 to 5 ft) high and wide, has slightly aromatic leaves, alternate, single, pointed, quite small (max. 1 cm long), dark green in colour, with brownish and greyish tinges. The flowers, slightly fragrant, honey producing and rich in nectar, appear from April-May to July, sometimes from March to December in warm climates. They are composed of many intense red petals surrounding a dark heart and can reach 2 to 3 cm (0.8 to 1.2 in) in diameter. They are followed by small capsules releasing fine elongated seeds. This bush can be lightly pruned after flowering, from May to July.

The 'Pink Damask' tea tree can withstand temperatures down to -8°C but the aerial parts can be damaged from -5°C. It needs a sheltered spot, in full but not scorching sun. It copes well with sea spray, making it a very beautiful bush for seaside gardens. While it prefers neutral to acidic soils, it also tolerates clay-limestone soils according to some experts, provided they are light, loamy and properly drained.

Leptospermum Pink Damask is planted in beds or borders in combination with ericaceous plants such as Camellia, azalea, rhododendron and maple. It can also be used in the creation of a medium-sized evergreen hedge (max 1.50m (5 ft ) tall), in the company of Myrtles, large cistus (Cistus laurifolius, Citus (x) aguilari), Feijoa, Callistemons and other Grevillea. In regions with very cold winters this plant should be grown in a pot and kept frost-free throughout the winter.

Leptospermum means "thin seed" and gets its common English name of tea tree from Captain Cook and his crew, who used its leaves to prevent scurvy.