Cityfarm Plant of the Month: tea trees
Plant of the month: Leptospermum polygalifolium (Wild May)
City Farm, opposite the Community Centre, on Tin Can Bay Road, is open to the public for plant sales on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8am-3pm, 07 54862304, ccfni09@gmail.com, www.cooloolacityfarm.org
Customers please note that the free plants offer ended on May 31 and free plants will not be available again until after the next and final rates notice for this year.
The genus Leptospermum occurs throughout Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, with several species growing in the Cooloola area.
Early settlers made tea by infusing the aromatic leaves of some species of Leptospermum and this practice led to the common name of tea tree.
They are generally hardy plants, tolerating most soils and conditions. Those with a dense form make good screens. The foliage can obscure the pretty flowers, though those that flower on the new growth make attractive cut specimens.
Plant of the month: Leptospermum polygalifolium (Wild May), an ornamental compact shrub to four metres with aromatic leaves and white blossoms in spring.
This plant likes sandy soil with low nutrient levels and can tolerate periodic wet conditions, though not permanently wet ground. Image: www.florabank.org.au
