Common Name:

General Information

Melaleuca thymifolia is an evergreen shrub that usually grows up to 100cm tall, occasionally reaching 200 metres[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of materials..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - eastern New South Wales, southeastern Queensland.

Habitat

Heath and scrubland, growing in damp places and on the margins of swamps[]. Damp heathy places and open scrub[, ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Melaleuca thymifolia is a plant of the warm temperate and subtropcal regions of eastern Australia. Although not very cold hardy, the plant can tolerate short periods with temperatures down to at least -7°c when dormant, so long as the summers have been sufficiently hot enough to thoroughly ripen the wood. It can therefore be cultivated in areas such as the Mediterranean where hot summers are followed by mild winters[, ].
Requires a fertile, well-drained moisture retentive lime-free soil in full sun[]. Prefers a soil that does not contain much nitrogen[]. Plants in Australian gardens succeed in a sunny position in most soils so long as they are moist[].
Seed takes about 12 months to develop on the plant, the woody seed capsules persist for 3 or more years[].
Any pruning is best done after the plants have flowered with the intention of maintaining a compact habit[].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

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

Other Uses

An essential oil obtained from the leaves is comparable to the better Eucalyptus oils[].

Propagation

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[]. 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, mid summer in a frame[].