Leptospermum (genus, tea trees)

Japanese name: レプトスペルマム
Scientific name: Leptospermum

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub or small tree.
The branches grow densely and the plant is bushy.
The bark peels off in thin flakes or paper-like strips.
The leaves are simple, alternate, relatively small and hard, with entire margins.
The leaves contain essential oil and give off a fragrance when damaged.
The flowers are 5-petaled, borne singly or in groups of 2–3 in the leaf axils or at the tips of unbranched shoots, and the flower color is white, pink, red and so on.
The petals are round and have a claw at the base.
The stamens are numerous and shorter than the petals.
There is 1 pistil; the ovary usually has 3–5 chambers, each containing several to many ovules.
The flowers have bracts and sepals, but these usually fall off when the flower opens.
The fruit is a hard, woody capsule, which usually splits open at the top to release the seeds.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained site.
It is not strongly cold-hardy, but tolerates light frost.
In warm regions it can overwinter outdoors if it is not exposed to strong cold wind or frost.
In cold regions, grow it in a pot and bring it indoors to a sunny place in winter.
It dislikes excess moisture and tolerates dryness.
For potted plants, from spring to autumn water thoroughly once the soil surface has dried, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
However, if it is allowed to dry out completely, the leaves drop and the plant dies.
Little fertilizer is best and none is particularly necessary; if you do give it, apply a small amount of slow-release chemical fertilizer or liquid fertilizer in spring and autumn.
To reshape it into a compact form, cut it back to 1/2–1/3 of its height right after flowering in spring.
The flower buds for the following spring form in autumn, so do not prune after autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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