Leptospermum squarrosum



Leptospermum squarrosum, commonly known as the peach blossom tea-tree, is an upright shrub of the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to central eastern New South Wales. It has thin, firm bark, broadly lance-shaped to elliptical leaves, relatively large white or pink flowers and fruit that remain on the plant when mature.

Description
Leptospermum squarrosum is an erect shrub of variable habit, growing to a height of less than 1 m to 4 m or more and has thin, firm bark. Young stem are silky-hairy at first, soon glabrous. The leaves are variable but mostly broadly lance-shaped to elliptical, 5–15 mm long and 2–5 mm wide with a sharply-pointed tip and tapering to a short petiole. The flowers are white or pink, mostly 10–20 mm wide and arranged singly on short side shoots. The floral cup is sessile, 2.5–4 mm long and glabrous. The sepals are also glabrous, 2–3 mm long, the five petals 3–7 mm long and the stamens 3–4 mm long. Flowering mostly occurs from March to April and the fruit is a capsule mostly 8–12 mm wide that remain on the plant at maturity.

Taxonomy
Leptospermum squarrosum was first formally described in 1788 by Joseph Gaertner in his book De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum from specimens collected by Joseph Banks.

Distribution and habitat
Peach blossom tea-tree gows in shrubland on sandstone soils in coastal areas and nearby tablelands of New South Wales, but especially in the Sydney region.

Use in horticulture
This tea-tree is a hardy shrub that grows best in a sunny situation in well-drained soil, but is salt-resistant and tolerates exposed positions.