Woolly Tea-tree
Did You Know?
Woolly Tea-tree grows differently under different flooding regimes. In areas that experience more flooding, the plant will typically grow shorter and have more stems!
A medium sized shrub standing upto 4m tall with stringy bark that often shreds in strips and numerous branchlets with consistent foliage
Leaves
Narrow and oblanceolate in shape, 4-20 mm long and 1.4-4 mm wide. Leaves are silky with a silvery sheen on both sides
Flowers
White flowers of approximately 15 mm diameter, occur densely along the branches.
Fruit/Seeds
Hemispherical woody capsule, 5-8 mm in diameter with a ‘woolly’ outer surface. Woody capsules are typically persistent year round with seed released in pulse events.
What to Observe
- First fully open single flower
- Full flowering (record all days)
- End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)
- No flowering
- Fruiting
When and Where
When To Look
Flowers from September to February but fruit can be present year-round.
Where To Look
Widespread from coastal areas to swampy riparian zones. Woolly Tea-tree likes water and is tolerant of flooding so is particularly common on heavy soils and floodplains.
What Else?
Similar Species
Leptospermum grandifolium (Mountain Tea-tree) – Similar but occurs at higher altitudes and leaves tend to be shorter and more egg shaped.
