Practical
Plants

Melaleuca bracteata

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Melaleuca genus in the family Myrtaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Myrtaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
6 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An essential oil obtained from the fresh leaves and twigs is antiseptic[1].

Product or use
Antiseptic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An essential oil obtained from the leaves is germicidal and is used in insecticides to increase their potency[1]. The oil is heavier than water[1].

Product or use
Essential
Product or use
Insecticide

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, South Australia.
Habitat
Banks of rivers and streams[1].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow in spring or autumn onto a pot of permanently moist soil in a warm greenhouse. Emmerse in 5cm of water and do not water from overhead. Grow on until the seedlings are 0.5cm tall then remove from the water and pot up a week later. Seedlings are liable to damp off when grown this way, sowing the seed thinly, good ventilation and hygiene are essential for success[5]. Grow the plants on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe lateral shoots with a heel, July/August in a frame[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We do not have much information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. If it does succeed outdoors then it is only likely to do so in the very mildest parts of the country. It tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. Requires a fertile, well-drained moisture retentive lime-free soil in full sun[3]. Prefers a soil that does not contain much nitrogen[4]. Plants succeed in wet soils when they are grown in Australian gardens[2]. Seed takes about 12 months to develop on the plant, the woody seed capsules persist for 3 or more years[5]. Any pruning is best done after the plants have flowered with the intention of maintaining a compact habit[5]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[5]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[5].

References

  1. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-00-216441-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  2. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

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  3. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

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  4. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

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