Melaleuca fulgens
Melaleuca fulgens, known as the Scarlet Honey-myrtle, is an erect shrub reaching a height of three metres. The leaves are narrow, aromatic and up to four centimetres long. Flowers may be scarlet, pinkish-red, apricot or purple.
Melaleuca gibbosa
Melaleuca gibbosa, the Slender Honey-myrtle, is a medium-sized shrub reaching a height of two metres. The small leaves are stalkless, tightly clustered around the stems, obovate to ovate in shape and arranged in two pairs of opposite rows. The tips of the leaves curve inward. The mauve to pink flowers attract birds and insects.
Melaleuca huegelii
Melaleuca huegelii, known as the Chenille Honey-myrtle, may develop into a tall shrub reaching a height of five metres. Leaves are small, almost triangular in shape and aromatic. The pure white flowers are held in terminal spikes and cover plants in early summer.
Melaleuca incana
Melaleuca incana is a species common in cultivation. Known as the Grey Honey-myrtle, this medium shrub has soft, weeping, grey-green foliage. Small bottlebrush-shaped, yellowish-green flowers appear en masse in spring. This is a triple-headed plant because the growth habit, foliage and flowers are all attractive features.
Melaleuca lateritia
Melaleuca lateritia, Robin Red-breast Bush, is an erect shrub that reaches a height of one to two metres. Light green, aromatic, linear leaves are two centimetres long. The bottlebrush-shaped flower spikes are orange-red, up to nine centimetres long with the main flowering period in summer with some blooms appearing in autumn and early winter. The flower spikes are visited by honeyeaters.
Melaleuca macronychia
Melaleuca macronychia is a medium-sized shrub that will reach a height of 3 metres with many branches. Leaves are lanceolate, blue-green and up to 4 centimetres long. The striking bright red flowers are held in large, cylindrical spikes, up to 6 cm long, and carried on short lateral branches. Flowering begins in summer and continues for many months.
Melaleuca micromera
Melaleuca micromera is a shrub reaching a height of 1.5 metres. When not in flower, it resembles a miniature conifer and when blooming with its small, yellow, globular flower heads, it bears a resemblance to a small wattle. Plants are a mass of colour in spring.
Melaleuca pentagona
Melaleuca pentagona is a medium shrub that has reached a height of three metres in our cold climate garden. Leaves may be rounded to oblong and a few centimetres long. Pink to purplish, rounded flower clusters appear in spring and are about two centimetres across. They are carried on the ends of branches and in leaf bases. Blooms are both conspicuous and profuse.
Melaleuca pulchella
Melaleuca pulchella, Claw Honey-myrtle, is a small shrub with a spread of 1.5 metres. The branches are pendulous and spill onto the ground. Small leaves are light green and oval to oblong in shape. Mauve flowers are carried in clusters with their staminal bundles curling inwards similar in appearance to a claw (hence the common name).
Melaleuca quadrifaria
Melaleuca quadrifaria, Limestone Honey-myrtle, is a tall shrub with creamy-white flowers that may reach a height of five metres. This many-branched shrub carries crowded, linear leaves that curve upward, a distinctive feature. They are five millimetres long and arranged in pairs around the stems.
Melaleuca radula
Melaleuca radula, known as Graceful Honey-myrtle, is a native of Western Australia which bulges at the seams with interesting and colourful melaleucas. Many species are not yet in cultivation. It is an open shrub with mauve flowers that will reach a height of 2 metres.
Melaleuca fulgens subsp. steedmanii
Melaleuca steedmanii is a native of Western Australia and is one of a large number of colourful species from the west. Most are virtually unknown in cultivation but have great horticultural potential. This is a medium to tall shrub that may reach a height of three metres. Prune it to prevent it becoming straggly and keep plants bushy and blooming bounteously. A memorable sight in full flower.
Melaleuca thymifolia
Melaleuca thymifolia, Thyme-leaf Honey-myrtle, is one of a number of small melaleucas that reach a maximum height of 1.5 metres. It has a possible spread of 3 metres. Leaves are small, bluish-green and spicily aromatic when crushed (reflecting the species and common names). It is an east coast species with a wide distribution.
Melaleuca tortifolia
Melaleuca tortifolia is a tall shrub reaching a height of 4 metres. Bark is flaky. Leaves are 1.5 centimetres long, ovate to lanceolate, slightly twisted with a point. Flowers are carried in dense clusters, 2 centimetres long, white and sometimes pink, in spring.
Melaleuca wilsonii
Melaleuca wilsonii, Wilson’s Honey-myrtle, is a dense shrub that reaches a height of two metres. Leaves are decussate (having a cross-like arrangement when viewed from above), linear and pointed. Flower spikes are deep pink to mauve-purple. Spikes are carried on old wood and may be very long sometimes exceeding 10 centimetres in length. Blooms are both prominent and prolific.
Monotoca elliptica
Monotoca elliptica, Tree Broom Heath, is generally a medium shrub 1–4 m, although Victorian references indicate up to 8 m. The scattering of red fruit among the green foliage can be quite eye-catching.
Myoporum bateae
Myoporum bateae is an open shrub that reaches a height of three metres. Leaves are long, narrow, linear, sticky, dotted with glands and up to 15 centimetres long. Honey bees visit the leaves, possibly as the glands exude a honey-attracting secretion. Flowers may be white or pale purplish pink. From 4 to 10 flowers are carried in the axils of the leaves. The main flowering period is spring and summer with sporadic flowering at other times.
Myoporum floribundum
Myoporum floribundum, the Slender Myoporum, is a rather sparse shrub that reaches a height of two metres in our cold climate garden. Branches are spreading and leaves are long and up to 13 centimetres long. They hang from the branches giving the plant a “wilted” appearance. This is far from the case as plants have proved to be hardy, drought resistant and tolerate frost. The foliage has a rather sour smell when wet.
Myoporum viscosum
Myoporum viscosum, the Sticky Boobialla, is a native of Victoria and South Australia. It is a medium shrub that will reach a height of two metres, making an ideal hedge plant. The leaves are up to 11 centimetres long by 3 centimetres wide, lanceolate to ovate, glossy and deep green with finely toothed margins.
Olearia elliptica
Olearia elliptica is known as the Sticky Daisy Bush. This medium shrub has elliptical, alternate, dark green and very sticky leaves. The foliage has an enamelled appearance. Plants have masses of white daisy flowers in terminal clusters during summer and autumn.
Olearia tenuifolia
Olearia tenuifolia, the Shiny Daisy Bush, is a small shrub reaching a height of about one metre. The dark green leaves are linear and alternate. The flower heads are about four centimetres in diameter. The ray (outside) florets are blue to mauve and the disk (inside) florets yellow. The flowers are profuse, conspicuous and carried for most of the year. Both foliage and flowers are attractive features.
Ozothamnus diosmifolius
Ozothamnus diosmifolius is a shrub that will reach a height of 2 metres. Flowers appear in winter and spring at the ends of branches in dense globular clusters. Buds may be pink and they open to small white to pink flowers. What the flowers lack in size they make up for in quantity.
Phebalium squamulosum ssp. squamulosum
Phebalium squamulosum ssp. squamulosum is widespread along the east coast of Australia growing from coast to mountains. There are 10 subspecies of this plant and the most common subspecies is squamulosum. The individual cream to pale yellow terminal flowers are five-petalled and relatively small, but as they occur in clusters they are very conspicuous. The narrow oblong leaves are up to 5 cm long and are shiny on top and a paler silvery-rusty colour underneath.
Philotheca myoporoides
Philotheca myoporoides is a widely occurring plant found up and down the east coast of Australia from Victoria to Queensland and inland along the ranges. It grows in open forests in sheltered slopes and valleys as an understory plant.
Prostanthera cryptandroides
Prostanthera cryptandroides is a small shrub reaching a height of 1 metre. Young growth is sticky. Mature leaves are elliptical leaves to ovate, about one centimetre long and very aromatic. Flowers are 1.5 centimetres long, white to lilac with a purple-spotted throat. Flowering is conspicuous and profuse between September and April.
Prostanthera granitica
Prostanthera granitica is a small, spreading shrub that reaches a height of about 1 metre. Small, aromatic leaves are 15 centimetres long, moderately crowded, mid green and feel like sandpaper to the touch. Flowers are one centimetre across, mid violet to purple and carried in the upper leaf axils.
Prostanthera incana
Prostanthera incana, known as the Velvet Mintbush, is a small to medium shrub that reaches a height of 1.5 metres in our cold climate garden. Leaves are two centimetres long, oval, dull green, aromatic with a velvety appearance (hence the common name). Leaf margins have rounded teeth.
Prostanthera melissifolia
Prostanthera melissifolia is known as the Balm Mintbush. The species may reach a height of 5 metres with a spread of 3 metres. Leaves are oval, about 3 centimetres long, aromatic with toothed margins. They are crowded, dull green above and paler beneath.
Prostanthera nivea var. induta
Prostanthera nivea var. induta is a medium shrub that reaches a height of about two metres. Linear leaves are one centimetre long, grey-green and held in small clusters. Unlike most Prostantheras, induta has little or no foliage aroma. This variety has proved to be wilt-resistant during dry spells.
Prostanthera nivea var. nivea
Prostanthera nivea var. nivea, Snowy Mint Bush is an upright shrub growing to a height of 3 metres. Leaves are light green, linear and about 4 centimetres long. Flowers are white to mauve. From September to December plants become covered in blooms. Prune after flowering to prevent plants becoming straggly.
Prostanthera ovalifolia
Prostanthera ovalifolia, Oval-leaved Mint Bush is a variable shrub that may reach a height of five metres. The specimens in our garden only reach 2 metres. Judicious pruning will limit the height and prevent the plant becoming straggly. Leaves range in size from 5 mm to 50 mm in length. They are moderately crowded, mid green to dark green and strongly aromatic.
Prostanthera ovalifolia ‘Rosea’
Prostanthera ovalifolia ‘Rosea’ was the first mint bush that I grew in my garden in the northern Sydney suburb of Westleigh and the original plant lasted for well over 20 years. It is stunning in flower and has the added bonus of highly aromatic leaves – when brushed they fill the air with a delightful bushland fragrance. It is a rounded shrub that grows to about two to three metres tall with a similar spread.
Prostanthera petraea
Prostanthera petraea is a rare mint bush from the Northern Tablelands and perhaps southern Queensland. This is a small to tall shrub. Plants in our garden are about two metres tall after three years in the ground. The leaves are ovate up to 8 centimetres long, 2 centimetres wide, strongly aromatic with prominent stalks. They are dull olive-green above and paler beneath.
Prostanthera phylicifolia
Prostanthera phylicifolia is stunning in flower as the pale violet/purple flowers contrast beautifully with the small dark green aromatic leaves. Some Prostantheas have a short flowering time. However, I find that this species flowers for me for well over a month in early Spring. They are reportedly frost resistant and are a favourite plant on the west coast of USA.
Prostanthera ‘Poorinda Ballerina’
Prostanthera ‘Poorinda Ballerina’ is a hybrid mint bush. This plant arose at Leo Hodge’s property, Poorinda in Victoria. It is said to be a medium shrub reaching a height of two metres. In our cold climate garden plants seldom exceed one metre in height. Small leaves are one centimetre long, deep green above and paler beneath.
Prostanthera ‘Ragged Robin’
Prostanthera ‘Ragged Robin’ is a short to medium shrub with an upright growth habit. Strongly aromatic leaves are about 2 centimetres long, cross-shaped and grey-green to pale green. Flowers are 1.5 centimetres long, mauve-blue and carried in the upper leaf axils during late spring and early summer. Blooms are conspicuous and profuse. Pruning plants will keep them in good shape.