Mānuka
Leptospermum scoparium · Myrtaceae · also Manuka, Tea tree, Kahikātoa
A hardy shrub or small tree to about 5 m with small prickly aromatic leaves and white to pink flowers almost year round. It is the pioneer species of New Zealand restoration, planted by the million as a nurse crop that shelters slower natives, stabilises eroding hill country and feeds bees that make the famous mānuka honey. Lives a few decades then gives way to taller forest.
Where it stands
Care
Plant at close spacing in full sun; needs no watering after the first summer and resents rich, wet soil. No pruning required; it does not resprout from old wood. Myrtle rust (found in NZ since 2017) is the main disease threat; mānuka blight (scale insect and sooty mould) weakens plants in some districts. Unpalatable to stock.
Benefits
Good for