Leptospermum scoparium Red Falls - Tea-tree

Leptospermum scoparium Red Falls is a variety of New Zealand tea tree characterized by its low growth and gracefully trailing branches. In the spring these branches sport hundreds of light red simple small blooms, forming a pretty, flowery mass. Such qualities make this charming evergreen bush a lovely specimen for a sunny terrace or above a wall, for example. Leptospermums are somewhat frost-sensitive and they prefer light, neutral to acidic soils. In the ground they are reserved for mild climates. Plants grown in pots should be kept frost-free in winter in a very bright but unheated room.

Originating from the extreme southeast of Australia and New Zealand, the Leptospermum scoparium, also known by the English name of Tea-tree, is a cousin of the Mediterranean myrtles, the clove tree and the Eucalyptus. It belongs to the same family, the Myrtaceae, and shares with these plants a love for heat but also leaves rich in essential oil. It grows naturally in regions with a mild coastal climate but also in dry forests, most often on mineral-poor, leached, rather acidic soil.

The cultivar 'Red Falls' is a small shrub with a bushy habit, reaching about 70 cm (28 in) in height and 90 cm (35 in) in width. Its growth is quite fast. It has slightly aromatic, alternate, single, pointed, quite small leaves not exceeding one centimetre long, dark green in colour, with bronze and brownish tints. The flowers, slightly fragrant, honey-bearing and nectar-bearing, appear from April-May to June, depending on the climate. They are composed of 5 petals surrounding a dark heart and do not exceed 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter. They are followed by small capsules releasing elongated fine seeds. This bush can be lightly pruned after flowering from May to July.

'Red Falls' tea tree can withstand temperatures down to -7°C but the aerial parts can be damaged from -4°C. It needs a sheltered spot, in full but not scorching sun. It tolerates sea spray well, making it a very beautiful bush for seaside gardens. This small bush is planted in rockeries, at the edge of a border, or above a wall, in order to highlight its lovely habit. It can be combined with compact Grevilleas, heathers, cistuses, creeping ceanothus, Convolvulus cneorum, or lavenders. In regions with cold winters the plant should be grown in a pot and kept frost-free throughout the winter.

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