Tea tree: description, cultivation and application. Tea tree (melaleuca) - home care

Such kind as melaleuca (tea tree) is directly related to the myrtle family. It unites about 200 species of evergreen shrubs and trees. In nature, they can be found in Indonesia, New Caledonia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and also in Malaysia.

Simple leaves are lanceolate or ovoid in shape, and they are located on the shoots in most cases alternately. Some species have no petioles at all, while others are short. Fragrant flowers are collected in rather loose inflorescences, having the shape of a ball or cylinder, they are similar in appearance to a panicle or brush. The peculiarity of the inflorescences is that each of them continues with a new growth. The flower mainly consists of stamens, which are collected in 5 bunches. His petals fall off when flowering is just beginning. Over time, strong closed capsules appear in place of the flowers, inside which there are seeds. These capsules are pressed very tightly against the branches.

Such a plant has not only inflorescences unusual shape, it also has a flaky bark, painted in a light color shade. There are species with peeling thin, rather large pieces of bark, which is why the tea tree is also popularly called the paper tree (Paperbark).

And these trees and shrubs are medicinal, which was recognized official medicine as early as the beginning of the 20th century. In any part of the plant there are essential oils in large quantities, which destroy microbes, viruses and fungi.

This plant is not very capricious and can be grown quite simply at home. However, for regular lush flowering, the tea tree needs to provide the most favorable conditions.

Earthmixture

Suitable soil should be slightly acidic or neutral and fairly loose. For self cooking suitable earth mixture, it is necessary to combine soddy soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1. When planting a beautiful melaleuca, you need to increase the proportion of sand.

Fertilizer

The plant must be fertilized during intensive growth 2 times a month. To do this, use a complex fertilizer for indoor plants.

How to water

AT wild environment tea tree prefers to grow on river banks, as well as in marshy places. In this regard, it must be systematically abundantly watered. If the soil is allowed to dry completely, then the plant, as a rule, dies. But it should also not be allowed to stagnate water in the soil, because this can provoke rotting of the root system.

For irrigation use soft settled water. To soften hard water experienced growers It is advised to add a little acetic or citric acid to it.

With a cool wintering, you need to water the plant a little less and less often. So, watering is done after the top layer of the substrate dries out slightly.

Humidity

Requires high humidity. In order to increase it, systematic spraying is needed (especially in hot weather). summer days). Also, to increase the humidity in the pan, you can pour expanded clay and pour water.

illumination

Needs bright light, but from midday direct rays of the sun it needs to be shaded. Daylight hours should be approximately 12 hours, and the illumination level should be 6000–7800 lux. If there is not enough light, then the plant must be illuminated with special phytolamps. In the event that the tea tree has enough light all year round, it may re-bloom in winter. If there is little light, then the shoots become elongated, and part of the foliage falls off.

Temperature regime

If the plant is not provided with additional lighting, then its wintering must be cold (about 10 degrees). In summer, melaleuca feels good and high temperature air, however, the midday direct rays of the sun can leave burns on the foliage.

pruning

Regular pruning is required throughout the year. The bush can be given absolutely any shape, as well as shaped it in the form of a tree or shrub. Also, during pruning, you can also remove branches that have already faded, as the resulting seed boxes spoil the spectacular look of the plant.

Young plants need to be pruned. In order for the bush to branch better, it is cut at a height of 10 centimeters. After that, you should cut each new stem until you achieve the desired branching.

Transplant Features

While the tea tree is young, it must be replanted once a year, while choosing a pot larger in diameter than the previous one. Adult specimens are subjected to this procedure as needed, for example, when the roots no longer fit in the pot. It is possible not to transplant into another pot, but simply cut the root system and replace the top layer of the substrate.

Reproduction methods

This plant can be propagated by seeds, as well as lignified annual cuttings. Seeds are simply scattered on the surface of moist soil, and there is no need to deepen them. Then the container is covered with glass and placed in a well-lit place. The first shoots can be seen after a little more than a week, but if the temperature is less than 20 degrees, then this can take up to 4 weeks. At first, the growth of seedlings is extremely slow and may die. more young plants. Tea tree, grown from seed, blooms for the first time in the 6th year of life.

Semi-lignified cuttings can be 6 to 8 centimeters long. You can root them both in soil and in a glass of water. To increase the chance of rooting, you can apply means that stimulate the growth of roots.

Diseases and pests

Most often, spider mites settle on a plant grown indoors, but mealybugs can also start. In order to destroy them, it is necessary to treat them with appropriate insecticides. For example, you can take Akarin, Aktellik or Fitoverm.

Most often, the plant is sick due to violations of the rules of care. So, all the foliage may fall off, or burns from direct sunlight appear on it, it rots root system or the tea tree dies altogether.

Should know! Melaleuca can be easily confused with leptospermum paniculata (also called manuka or New Zealand tea tree). So, often images of another are attached to the description of one plant. They are actually very similar in leaves, but their flowers are completely different. Also, these plants differ in areas of application and properties. In this regard, when preparing some folk drug, it is necessary to find out exactly which of the plants is meant.

Main types

For growing at home, the following types are most often chosen.

Melaleuca alternifolia (Melaleuca alternifolia)

Or the Australian tea tree - this species is most often grown at home. The plant is native to northeastern Australia. This is a low tree, which is characterized by slow growth and green narrow long leaves, which are very similar to spruce needles. In length, they reach 1-3.5 centimeters, and in width - about 1 millimeter. It blooms from the end of spring to the beginning of the summer period, while flowering is plentiful. Snow-white dense inflorescences reach a length of 3-5 centimeters, and outwardly they are very similar to small cylindrical brushes.

Melaleuca diosmifolia (Melaleuca diosmifolia)

Or green honey myrtle - this is also one of the most popular types in home floriculture. He hails from Western Australia. This small shrub has small (about 1 centimeter long) green leaves. They are located on the stems extremely tightly in a spiral, while they have the shape of an oval. Green-lemon flowers are collected in small (up to 5 centimeters long) inflorescences, having the shape of a cylinder, which are located on short lateral stems. Flowering lasts from late spring to early autumn.

Linen melaleuca (Melaleuca linariifolia)

This plant is native to the east coast of New South Wales and South Queensland. It is a low evergreen tree, characterized rapid growth. Greenish-gray alternately arranged leaves like linen. In length, they reach from 2 to 4.5 centimeters, and in width - up to 4 millimeters. In the summer, flowers bloom on the plant, which have an external resemblance to bird down feathers. They are collected in snow-white short (up to 4 centimeters in length) inflorescences, which are similar to panicles. Because of abundant flowering, during which the flowers cover the plant almost completely, in some English-speaking countries it is also called Snow in Summer, which means "Summer Snow". AT indoor floriculture very popular variety "Snowstorm" (Snow Storm), which is a dwarf form of linen melaleuca.

Melaleuca beautiful (Melaleuca pulchella)

Or clawed honey myrtle (Claw Honey myrtle) - originally from Western Australia. It is a low creeping shrub. Its dark green oval-shaped leaves are very small, so they reach a length of 2-6 millimeters. Pink-purple flowers, not quite the usual form, collected in rather rare inflorescences. The flowers have 5 groups of long stamens fused together, which are located next to the sepals. The shape of the flower is bent inward and therefore it seems that in front of you are fingers with claws in the form of anthers. Because given plant also called Claw flower (Claw Flower).

Melaleuca nesophila (Melaleuca nesophila)

Either pink honey myrtle (Showy Honey Myrtle) is the birthplace of this tall bush is Western Australia. Greenish-gray leaves in length reach 2 centimeters. Lilac-pink flowers are collected in small (up to 3 centimeters in diameter) inflorescences that have the shape of a ball. Flowering occurs from late spring to mid-summer. Particularly popular is the variety "Little Nessy" (Little Nessie) - a spectacular dwarf shrub.

In special stores you can buy other no less decorative varieties tea tree.

Europeans owe their acquaintance with the tea tree plant to the legendary Captain Cook: one of the members of his expedition brought the seeds of this bush to the Old World. With careful care at home, the tea tree grows well and even bears fruit. Of course, for brewing tea, the leaves of an indoor bush will only be enough for a couple of times, so they grow it as an ornamental plant.

tea bush plant(Thea) belongs to the Tea family. Homeland - Southeast Asia.

In China and India, tea is harvested primarily by hand. Mostly young women and girls are engaged in this, although the collection of tea is physically hard and exhausting work. Leaves and buds are plucked and placed in baskets made of twigs, which are placed on the backs of the tea pickers. Along with the manual method of collecting tea, there are also mechanized methods. Special machines are used, as a rule, to collect the least valuable raw materials of tea branches and already mature leaves, which are used to make mainly pressed and extracted tea.

The quality of tea also directly depends on the time of collection of raw materials. Elite varieties of tea are made from unopened flushes and buds of the tea bush, which were collected in the early morning before sunrise or in the evening after sunset.

It is believed that tea harvested during daylight hours has greater astringent properties and a more pronounced bitter taste. In addition, this tea reduces the amount of caffeine and vitamins.

Tea tree in culture

The tea bush got its name by chance. In 1770, the legendary captain James Cook landed on the coast of Australia, and the sailors of the expedition, following the example of the natives, began to brew tea from the leaves of a shrub that grew on the coast. The expedition's naturalist Joseph Banks collected samples of the plant and brought it to London, christening it the tea tree. This name has taken root, despite the fact that the shrub has nothing to do with tea, and the essential oil contained in the leaves is even toxic. Official name Melaleuca was given by Carl Linnaeus, who thus described appearance plants: mela in Greek means “black”, and leuca means “white”. The fact is that the bark of the shrub has an interesting property: it is constantly “peeling off”, exposing the light inner layers, while the outer layers look charred.

The tea tree is very water-loving, and therefore the inhabitants of Australia planted it in swampy areas to drain the soil - the roots of the trees drank so much liquid that the soil quickly became drier. At the beginning of the XX century. he was brought to Florida for this purpose. However, after several decades, tea tree plantations began to grow uncontrollably and changed the flora and biocenosis of many areas of the Florida swamps, which today is a serious environmental problem.

The tea tree belongs to evergreens, its leaves grow in peculiar panicles, very similar to those used for cleaning. Tea tree flowers are described as similar to bottle brushes. The Australian Aborigines believed that the strong and fresh scent of tea tree leaves kept the home clean and prevented infection. Indeed, as it turned out, tea tree leaves contain a specific complex - an essential oil with powerful antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal effects. Thus, cleaning the premises with panicles of fresh tea tree leaves and flowers was akin to modern disinfection, in which surfaces are wiped disinfectant solution and exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

The tea tree bush is able to grow on scarce stony soils, rocks. This plant is hardy and quite unpretentious. The tea bush can adapt to a variety of climatic conditions, endures heat and cold. It is not subject to "epidemic" diseases, which pose a great danger to many tropical and subtropical crops. The plant is durable - bushes can live and bear fruit for more than 100 years.

In China, tea was introduced into culture in the middle of the 4th century, in Japan it became known only 500 years later, and around the same time it spread to Korea.

Tea came to Europe in the 16th century, and in different ways - to Western Europe from India, Sri Lanka and South China, and to Eastern Europe - from North China in 1638. Tea was presented to the Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich as a remedy for "colds and headaches." For a long time, a drink made from dried "Chinese leaf" was used as a healing potion. And the first tea bush was brought to Russia in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in the Crimea in 1817 and to Georgia in the middle of the 19th century.

AT Western Europe this drink was called "ti", as in the southern Chinese dialect, and in Eastern Europe it began to be called tea from the northern Chinese "cha". In translation, both names mean the same thing: “young leaf”.

In the UK with light hand The Duchess of Bradford, who decided that the break between traditional English lunch and dinner was too long, the tea ceremony since 1840 has become an obligatory national ritual. At precisely 5 pm local time, known there as "fife o clock", the whole of Great Britain sits down at the tea tables; 200 million cups of tea, according to statistics, are drunk by the British in one day (an average of 4.5 cups per person). This is half of all the liquid they drink.

As for Russia and other East Slavic countries, a lot of time passed until our ancestors, accustomed to kvass and tinctures of various plants, truly appreciated this wonderful drink.

For a long time in different countries, only wealthy people drank tea, because it was not cheap. This sometimes caused displeasure of the population. So, protesting against the exorbitant high prices for tea set by the British government, residents of the North American city of Boston, one of the centers of the then British colony in North America, seized an English ship that arrived there and threw all its cargo - bags of tea - into the sea. This episode went down in history as the "Boston Tea Party" and marked the beginning of the liberation war of the population of the British colonies in North America, which eventually led to the emergence of the current United States of America.

Nowadays, tea is grown in industrial scale in more than 30 countries around the world.

The scientific name for tea is camellia sinensis.

Now 24 varieties of camellias are known and described, most of which are herbaceous plants. Some of their species are grown only for decorative purposes.

What does a tea tree look like: description, photo of leaves and flowers of a bush

tea bush - small evergreen tree, more often a shrub that grows up to 50 cm in room conditions. Young shoots are covered with delicate silvery hairs (in Chinese - "bai hao", hence the name of the tea being prepared - bai).

As you can see in the photo, the leaves of the tea bush are small (4-10 cm), with short internodes:

The flowers of the tea bush are white, with a delicate pleasant aroma and bright yellow, very beautiful stamens. The fruit of the tea bush is a box with rounded brown seeds.

Growing a tea tree at home, as practice shows, is not difficult. Indoors, this plant can regularly bloom and bear fruit. Blooms in September - November, the seeds ripen the next year

Grows well at home

Assamese tea(Th. assamica)

Chinese tea(Th. sinensis).

Chinese tea bush(Thea sinensis L.) is a small shrub that is a low, not very densely branched tree.

This plant belongs to the tea family (Theaceae). Chinese tea tree can be Chinese and Japanese varieties.

The height of this shrub is on average from 60 to 100 cm. In China, specimens of the tea tree reach a greater height. For example, in Gaolis County, they grow up to 16 m. The trunk of such a tea tree is very powerful. Of course, the leaves of such trees can no longer be used in high-grade tea compositions, but it is quite possible to get aesthetic pleasure from contemplating this plant.

See what a tea tree looks like in these photos:

The tea leaves are leathery, oval in shape, their edge is sharp-toothed. Young, only unfolded leaves are covered with a barely noticeable silvery fluff. Since the tea tree belongs to the category of deciduous, therefore, its leaves live no more than one year, and then fall off. But during the entire period of their growth and maturation, the leaves remain green in color, almost do not change their color. Young leaves are lighter in color, while mature leaves become a rich green color over time.

Tea tree flowers are white, sometimes pink, with numerous stamens. Flowers spread a light fragrant aroma, which does not even remotely resemble the smell of a drink prepared from the leaves of this tree.

Tea tree fruits ripen in October-November, almost a year after the start of the first flowering. The fruit is a box that can be opened along the wings. Inside each box is not a large number of seeds (from 1 to 6 depending on the size of the fruit and the age of the tree). Tea tree seeds are about the size of a hazelnut, covered with a hard rind.

The following describes how to grow a tea bush at home.

How to grow a tea tree at home and how to care for a bush

Like all subtropical plants, the tea tree houseplant requires a lot of sun, fresh air, careful watering in winter and plentiful - in summer. AT good conditions the tea bush grows beautifully, blooms and bears fruit.

When caring for a tea tree, do not forget that this culture is photophilous, and tolerates a weak shadow well.

Clay and loamy soils, not very loose, but nutritious, are most suitable for growing a tea bush. The substrate should be nutritious, fertile, acidic: soddy land, humus, peat, sand (1:1:1:1), pH 4.5-5.5. Can be used ready soil for azaleas.

How to grow a tea tree: home care

In summer, watering is plentiful, in autumn and winter - moderate.

To take care of the tea tree as carefully as possible, during the growth period, from April to September, the plants need to be fed twice a month with a complete mineral fertilizer.

Transshipment of a plant up to 5 years is carried out annually, in the future, the topsoil is replaced.

For better tillering, when the seedlings reach 15-20 cm, they are cut to a height of 10 cm from the soil. To prevent the bush from growing, annually in the fall it should be cut by 5-7 cm. To obtain a beautiful shape, you need to cut it in spring and early summer, forming a bush. To increase productivity tea leaf bushes give a compact wide crown.

This video shows how to care for a tea tree at home:

To breed a tea tree, as practice shows, it is enough to sow the seeds in the soil mixture immediately after harvesting. Can be propagated by cuttings in early spring.

Tea Tree Essential Oil: Properties and Uses

Essential oil destroys pathogens not only on treated surfaces, but also in the air due to the fact that it consists of volatile compounds. This property of the leaves was used, of course, in traditional medicine: heated and soaked tea tree leaves were used as dressings for wounds, to treat burns. Tea tree essential oil has also been known to be used to treat snake, insect, and animal bites.

Modern research has shown that tea tree leaf extract (essential oil) is similar in composition to the leaf extract of another Australian plant - eucalyptus. It contains a lot of eucalyptol, a compound that was considered unique to eucalyptus, as well as terpenes - terpinene, terpineol, terpinolene and other compounds. Back in 1920, the Australian chemist Arthur Penfold proved experimentally that tea tree oil is 11 times superior in its disinfectant properties to carbolic acid. It was then that the history of the use of this ingredient in cosmetology began. In 1949, tea tree oil was included in the British Pharmaceutical Code. The antibacterial effect is provided primarily by 4-terpineol, which, according to the standards adopted in Australia, must be at least 30% in the oil.

Perhaps I will not be mistaken if I say that tea is one of the most common drinks on Earth. It is prepared from the leaves of tea trees, which are native to countries in southeast Asia.

But since this drink has gained incredible popularity, today tea trees in the form of low shrubs are cultivated in regions with suitable climates around the world, even in Africa. You can try to grow them at home.

CHINESE CAMELIA

The tea tree belongs to the tea family, to the genus Camellia. Its official name is camellia sinensis.

Therefore, it not only gives fragrant leaves for a drink, but also blooms very nicely. At the end of September, white corollas up to 4 cm in diameter with large bright yellow anthers bloom on the tea bushes, exuding a delicate refreshing aroma.

By winter, the fruits ripen - round, three-leaved, dark green boxes with round, up to 1.5 cm in size, brown seeds inside. If you plant these seeds fresh, they germinate easily. However, as soon as they lie down for a couple of months, their germination rate drops sharply. Therefore, rarely anyone manages to grow a tea tree from seeds bought in a store. It is better to buy a seedling right away.

PLANTING A TEA TREE

Before sowing, the seeds are soaked for 3 days in a warm boiled water. Then they are buried 3-4 cm into an acidic loose substrate, as for azaleas, or into the ground taken in the forest from under the fir trees, mixed with peat and sand (4:1:1).

Crops are moistened, covered with a film and placed in a warm (22-25 °) place. Tea seeds can germinate from one to several months. My seedlings (4 pieces) sprouted after 6 weeks. When the sprouts formed 2 large leaves, I dived them into pots with a substrate and a drainage layer 5 cm thick at the bottom.

Tea does not like stagnant moisture.

Tea tree (Tea tree) is a genus of low-growing evergreen shrubs and woody plants belonging to the Myrtle family. But contrary to popular belief, this name has nothing to do with the industry of growing and producing tea. The second name of the genus is Melaleuca. These representatives of the flora are valued for their unusual appearance and are popular in room culture along with. From this article, you will learn how to grow a tea tree at home, and what varieties of this exotic plant exist.

Characteristics of the tea tree

Melaleuca has a tart, pleasant aroma. Woody forms can reach a height of 25 m. The plant has a branched rhizome, branches and trunk are covered with thin gray or light brown bark, which is easily damaged and peeled, resembling a paper wrapper. Leaves of bright green color resemble needles. Buds of yellow, pink or cream color collected in oval or spherical inflorescences. The tea bush emits essential oils in large quantities, which are widely used in cosmetology and medicine.

Popular types of tea tree

More than 200 species of melaleuca are currently known, but only a few are widely grown. Here are the most popular varieties with photos:

• Melaleuca bracteata - the tree grows up to 8 m, has a gray bark with cracked vertical stripes. The color of the leaves is dark green, with a grayish tint. Cream-colored inflorescences, cylindrical;

• Heather Melaleuca is a dense shrub with brownish or pale white “papery” bark. The leaves are dark green, linear type, the flowers are creamy white;

• Alternate - is a beautiful tree up to 8 m tall. It is this variety that is grown for the production of essential oils on an industrial scale. The trunk is covered with the thinnest flaky bark, and young branches contain snow-white flowers and bright green leaves;

• Nesophila is a spreading shrub with oval-shaped leaves. The main difference between the species is bright pink inflorescences in the shape of a ball.

You can buy a tea tree seedling in a nursery or an online plant store. The price will depend on the type of melaleuca, its height and the volume of the pot. For example, the cost of a bush, from a rooted cutting 10 cm high in a square pot 9x9 cm, starts from 300 rubles.

How to care for a tea bush

A green pet is not at all capricious and it is very easy to take care of it at home. To provide him with a magnificent regular flowering, some guidelines must be followed.

Earth mix and fertilizer for the tea bush

For melaleuca, neutral or slightly acidic soil, very loose, is well suited. To independently prepare the desired earth mixture, we combine sand, peat and soddy soil in a ratio of 1: 2: 1.

During the period of intensive growth, the homemade tea tree is fertilized a couple of times a month with a complex fertilizer for indoor plants.

Humidity and watering for melaleuca

Tea tree loves high humidity, so care for it includes constant spraying (especially in the heat).

• To increase the humidity, water is poured into the pan and expanded clay is poured;
• The tree requires generous systematic watering. When the soil layer dries out completely, the plant usually dies. Stagnation of water in the soil is also undesirable, it can lead to rotting of the roots;
• Settled soft water is best for irrigation. To soften hard water, on the advice of flower growers, add a little citric or acetic acid to it;
• In the cool winter season, the bush is watered less often and less. This process takes place after a slight drying of the top layer of the substrate.

Light and temperature for the plant

The "green resident" cannot do without bright lighting and is shaded from direct sunlight. The illumination level should be - 6000-7800 lux, and the light period - 12 hours. In case of insufficient light, such specimens are illuminated with the help of special fitolamps. If they have enough light all year round, the plants may re-bloom in the winter. But if there is not enough light, the shoots will become elongated, and a lot of foliage will fall.

If it is not possible to make additional lighting for melaleuca, it should winter at a temperature of 10 degrees. In the summer season, the plant is comfortable even at high temperatures, but in direct sunlight, the leaves dry and burns remain on them.

Pruning and features of tea tree transplantation

The plant needs regular pruning throughout the year. It can be shaped like a shrub or a tree, or shaped as you like. When pruning, you can get rid of branches that have faded, because they negatively affect the spectacular look.

• Young green specimens must be cut at a height of ten centimeters, so the bush will branch better. Next, each new stem is cut and this is done until the desired branching occurs;
• A young tea bush is transplanted once a year. For this procedure, a pot is selected in diameter larger than the previous one. Adult plants are transplanted as needed if the root system does not fit in a pot. But if it is not possible to make a transplant, they simply cut the roots and replace the top layer of soil.

Melaleuca breeding methods

Melaleuca propagates not only with the help of seeds, but also with annual lignified cuttings.

• Seeds are scattered on moist soil, and they do not require deepening;
• The box is covered with glass and placed in a bright place. After 1-1.5 weeks, the first sprouts will appear;
• If a temperature regime less than 20 degrees, it will take up to four weeks.

At first, seedlings grow very slowly, a large number of plants die. A tea bush grown from seeds will bloom for the first time in the sixth year of life.

Semi-lignified cuttings reach a length of 7-8 cm, and take root not only in the soil, but also in a glass of water. To increase the rooting process, funds are taken to help stimulate the growth of roots.

tea tree pests

If the bush is grown indoors, it can settle or start. To destroy them, they are treated with insecticides such as Fitoverm, Aktellik or Akarin.

Video: Tea Tree Oil for Hair Health

Melaleuca is the shortest genus of the Myrtle family. It is a small evergreen tree and shrub. The etymology of the name "melaleuka" (translated from ancient Greek - "black and white") is associated with frequent forest fires in tropical latitudes, as a result of which the light gray bark of the tree burns. Distribution areas - Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Philippines and the American tropics.

The second genus name is Australian tea tree. Contrary to popular belief, Melaleuca has nothing to do with the tea industry, since the homeland of the shrub, from the leaves of which the tart drink is made, is South Asia.

There are more than 200 species of Melaleuca in nature, and only two of them are cultivated as houseplants. Morphological properties of woody representatives of the genus are close to Eucalyptus. The dense, dark green crown resembles coniferous. The leaves are lanceolate, 1 to 20 cm long, arranged alternately with or without hardly noticeable petioles. The flowers are small, fragrant, collected in fluffy spikelets with long stamens. Interestingly, at home, the tea tree pleases with its flowering only for the sixth year.

In indoor crop production, it is valued for the ability to create a spectacular bonsai tree. The essential oils of the leaves are successfully used in aromatherapy, have healing properties: antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal.

cultivation

The Australian tea tree does not tolerate direct sunlight, as leaf burns are possible. A well-lit place must be given to him in the western or eastern exposure. The tree is successfully cultivated in clay pots, as they grow, they are replaced with larger containers once every one to two years.

Melaleuca needs regular feeding complex fertilizers twice a month in spring and autumn. It is recommended to transplant every year in early spring, not forgetting the obligatory drainage (you can use perlite).

For aesthetic purposes, it is necessary to prune strongly growing shoots to form a lush crown. Having studied the art of creating a bonsai culture, you can decorate the interior of the room with a stylish exotic miniature tree.

Diseases and pests

Mealybug, spider mite.

reproduction

Seeds and stem cuttings. Sowing of seeds and rooting of cuttings is carried out in March, in a small greenhouse under glass.

First steps after purchase

After purchase, it is recommended to slightly moisten the air around the plant using a sprayer. Australian tea tree tolerates low temperatures well, but it is better not to purchase it in cold weather. Water one to two days after transport from the flower shop.

Success Secrets

For successful cultivation of Melaleuca, it is important to provide it with good lighting. The air temperature in the room should be moderate (up to +20°C). At home, it is better to refrain from experiments on a tree associated with hypothermia.

A typical representative of the tropical flora feels good when high humidity air, so it needs frequent and regular spraying, especially on hot summer days and during the heating winter season. Watering is recommended regularly early spring until the end of autumn settled, soft water. It is not necessary to fill the plant, it should be moistened only as the top layer of soil dries out noticeably.

Possible difficulties

Root rot

Reasons: 1) waterlogging of the soil, especially in autumn winter period, 2) insufficient drainage.

The plant does not bloom

Reasons: 1) insufficient lighting, 2) insufficient top dressing.

Yellowing and shedding of leaves

Reason: dry air.

Melaleuca or tea tree - trees and shrub plants families Myrtle. The genus is extensive and includes more than 200 representatives that have spread throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, and New Guinea. Melaleuca is often confused with, in fact they are closely related.

Representatives of the genus in the bulk are evergreen, medium-sized shrubs, excellent honey plants. Melaleuca trees are very large and can reach a height of over 40 meters. The size sheet plates varies from 1 cm to 25 cm. In species grown in room culture, the leaves resemble needles, they are stiff and small, pointed at the ends. From the leaves of Australian melaleuca, valuable essential oil of the tea tree is isolated, which is actively used for medical purposes, cosmetology and aromatherapy.

Melaleuca flowers are highly decorative. They have the shape of a ball, or brush, alternate with leaves, randomly located on the shoots.

Melaleuca bark has a characteristic structure, and, as it were, exfoliates from a tree trunk, for which it is also called paper tree . The shoots of the plant are quite thin, at home they can be cut off, forming a crown. In a room culture, they grow: linen melaleuka, diosmolous melaleuka, nesophila melaleuka, beautiful melaleuka. These plants are unpretentious, have a pleasant, refreshing aroma and do not require complex care.

Melaleuca care at home

Lighting

Melaleuca is grown in a sunny place. It is important to avoid exposure to direct sunlight in spring and summer, as burns may occur. In the off-season and in winter, when the intensity natural light significantly reduced, additional illumination with phytolamps is required. If the melaleuca does not have enough light, its shoots become thin and look unsightly.

Temperature

In winter, a dormant period begins for melaleuca, when it is kept in cool conditions at +10 degrees. The rest of the time the plant develops well at normal room temperature.

Air humidity

Tea tree at home requires high humidity. In the hot season, daily spraying is required. It is advisable to have a humidifier in the house, or place a pot with a plant near the aquarium, in the kitchen, or just in a tray with wet expanded clay.

Watering

Melaleuca is watered abundantly. The substrate should always be slightly damp. Waterlogging should not be allowed so that the roots of the plant do not rot. Overdrying the earthy coma is also dangerous, as the melaleuca immediately begins to shed its leaves. In winter, watering is reduced.

It is important to use only good quality soft water.

top dressing

From early spring to the end of summer, a universal application is required. mineral fertilizer, every two weeks.

Transfer

A young tea tree grows quickly and needs to be repotted annually. It is enough to transplant adult plants every 2-3 years, increasing the pot. If the melaleuca has grown too large, cut off part of the root system and transplant into a new pot.

It is important to use enough drainage. The substrate is prepared from peat, sand and sod land (2:1:1).

reproduction

Melaleuca can be propagated by seeds and cuttings. Seeds are planted in a moist substrate under glass, where they germinate within two weeks.

Semi-lignified cuttings take root in water or in a peat cup with soil.

Pests

Tea tree at home is often infected with spider mites. It is important to keep the leaves clean and avoid crowded growing plants.

Photo melaleuca

Syn: melaleuca.

The tea tree or melaleuca is a genus of tropical evergreen shrubs or trees with silvery green, dry, strong-smelling leaves and papery bark. Some species of the genus have antifungal, antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties.

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flower formula

In medicine

The tea tree or melaleuca is a genus of evergreen trees or shrubs native to the tropics. Plants of this genus are not pharmacopoeial, but melaleuca whitebark is listed in the Register medicines RF as a homeopathic remedy. The leaves of some types of tea tree, from which the essential oil is obtained, have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal effects.

Tea tree essential oil can be dangerous if used incorrectly. If melaleuca oil is used externally in the wrong concentration, it can cause local skin irritation, systemic contact dermatitis, erythema-like reactions, and allergic contact dermatitis. When taken orally in case of an overdose, tea tree oil can cause drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, weakness, vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, rash. In severe cases, changes in blood cells and coma. Due to the presence of estrogens in the oil, tea tree has contraindications for use by children under six years of age, pregnant and lactating women. Topical application of tea tree oil should avoid the areas around the eyes and mouth, and should not be instilled into the ears, nose, or deep wounds.

In cosmetology

Tea tree oil is widely used in cosmetology and aromatherapy. It is added to lotions, tonics and creams intended for oily, inflamed and combination skin, and is also used topically for acne. A tea tree face mask is an effective remedy not only for acne, it also smoothes the skin, evens out its color. Melaleuca essential oil is part of hair products suffering from dandruff and excessive oiliness. It is used in deodorants, antiperspirants and remedies for excessive sweating of the feet. Tea tree oil is a common ingredient in various dental products. Tea tree is good for teeth, as it whitens tooth enamel, fights infections and inflammations in the oral cavity.

In crop production

In the tropical zone, representatives of the genus tea tree are grown as ornamental plants for the needs of landscape gardening, as well as for decorating personal garden plots.

Classification

The genus tea tree or Melaleuca (lat. Melaleuca) includes more than 230 species of trees and shrubs. The most common is the narrow-leaved tea tree (lat. Melaleuca alternifolia). In addition to it, broad-leaved tea tree (lat. Melaleuca viridiflora) and cajuput tree (lat. Melaleuca leucadendra) are used to obtain tea tree essential oil. Plants of the tea tree genus belong to the Myrtle family (lat. Myrtaceae).

Botanical description

Plants of the genus Tea tree are low, evergreen trees or shrubs, usually up to 10 meters in height, characterized by light and soft paper-like bark, which begins to peel off over time. For this feature, the tea tree in English-speaking countries received another name - paperbarks - paper bark. Tea tree leaves are 70 to 195 mm long and 19 to 76 mm wide with a pronounced camphor aroma. bisexual flowers tea tree are collected in inflorescences, often spherical in shape. The tea tree flower formula is *CH5L5T∞ P(3). The fruits of the plant are capsules full of small seeds.

The narrow-leaved tea tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia) is a small tree up to 7 m tall with a dense crown and white, "papery" bark. The leaves of this type of tea tree are linear, 10 to 35 mm long and 1 mm wide. White flowers are collected in fluffy peaks 3 to 5 cm long.

Broad-leaved tea tree (Melaleuca viridiflora) is a shrub or small tree up to 10 meters long with leaves that reach 3 cm wide. Melaleuca broad-leaved flowers are yellow, yellow-green or cream, also collected in peaks at the ends of the branches. Each peak has 8 to 25 flowers. The cajuput tree (Melaleuca leucadendra) is the tallest among the plants of this genus. It reaches a height of 25 meters. The whitish bark, exfoliating in large patches, turns black at the base. The flowers are small, white, collected in dense spike-shaped inflorescences with a leafy axis.

Spreading

Most types of tea tree in the wild are found only in Australia. Eight grow in Tasmania, of which two are endemic. Several tropical species of melaleuca originate from Papua New Guinea, one of which grows as far as Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The tea tree grows well in the tropics and subtropics, preferring wetlands and areas along watercourses. One species, Melaleuca halmaturorum, also known as honey kangaroo myrtle or salt paper bark, chooses saline soils to grow where other species of shrubs and trees struggle to survive. Commercial plantations of tea trees were planted in the 1970s and 1980s in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales around the Lismore region.

Procurement of raw materials

Medicinal raw materials are tea tree leaves rich in essential oils. For drying, they are harvested in early summer, and for steam distillation in order to obtain oil - all year round. Melaleuca leaves are dried in the shade, away from sources of moisture. The oil is obtained not only from the leaves, but also from the leafy tops of the branches. After processing, a transparent, light yellow or greenish oil with a strong camphor-woody aroma condenses. Wet plant material yields 1% to 2% oil.

Chemical composition

The composition of tea tree oil is highly dependent on what type of melaleuca it is derived from, grown
whether the plant is in vivo or on a plantation. For tea tree essential oil, there is an international standard - ISO 4730. It defines the proper content of the main 15 components of the oil. Among them, from 30 to 48% terpinen-4-ol, from 10 to 28% y-terpinene, from 5 to 13% alpha-terpinene and from 0 to 15% 1.8 cineole. Tea tree essential oil also contains alpha-terpinolene, alpha-pinene, p-cymol, virdiflorene, limonene, trace amounts of L-ternineol and allihexanoate. Terpinen-4-ol is the main component responsible for the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity of tea tree essential oil, and scientists believe 1,8-cinneol is responsible for the adverse reactions that occur to this essential oil. The lower its content, the lower the risk of their occurrence.

Pharmacological properties

The most effective antibacterial components of this oil are terpinen-4-ol, alpha pin, linalool and alpha terpineol. Lipophilic terpineols penetrate through cell membrane microorganisms and provide toxic effect on their membrane structure and function. In vitro studies have shown that tea tree oil kills methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In 2012, a topical treatment of 5% tea tree essential oil for acne was proven to be as effective as 5% benzoyl peroxide. 10% tea tree oil is less effective against fungal diseases than clotrimazole or terbinafine, but no less effective than the synthetic antifungal agent tolnaftate. Scientists are testing the antiviral activity of tea oil. In laboratory studies, the activity of the essential oil against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses has been shown.

Application in traditional medicine

Tea tree oil has been widely used in folk medicine. It is recommended for inhalation and massage for various colds, flu, coughs, tonsillitis, bronchitis and sinusitis. It is able to relieve fever during fever, strengthens the immune system, has an expectorant effect that helps cleanse the respiratory tract of mucus. Tea tree helps against nail fungus, dermatitis of various etiologies, thrush, pustular and acne, boils, herpes, abscesses, bedsores, relieves swelling, itching, neutralizes poisons from midge and mosquito bites, diseases of the oral cavity. It fights lice and dandruff. Baths with essential oil tea tree helps with rashes various origins, sweaty feet and arthritis.

History reference

Australian Aborigines traditionally used crushed tea tree leaves to treat coughs, sore throats, colds, headaches, and made poultices to treat festering wounds and skin inflammations. Lakes were also considered healing, in whose water fallen leaves of melaleuca accumulated. The properties of the tea tree were "transferred" to the reservoir and it became "magic". Used tea tree for the beauty of hair and facial skin and Australian women. At the dawn of the 20th century, scientists were interested in tea tree treatment.

The first studies were carried out in 1920-1930, the Australian chemist A.R. Penfold has published a number of articles on the antimicrobial and antibacterial activity of tea tree oil. When assessing antimicrobial activity, he relied on the "gold standard" of that time - carbolic acid and clearly proved that melaleuca oil is 11 times more effective than it as a disinfectant. Thanks to these studies, tea tree oil was included in the first aid kit issued to the Australian military during the Second World War. After World War II, tea tree oil production declined significantly as new, more effective antibiotics were discovered. Interest in it "resurrected" in the wake of the general enthusiasm for natural products already in the 70s of the last century and has not weakened since then. Tea tree has nothing to do with tea bush, whose leaves serve as the source of the beloved black or green tea. The plant most likely got this name because of the famous explorer, navigator Captain Cook, who described melaleuca as a shrub, whose leaves he used instead of tea leaves. The botanical name Melaleuca comes from two ancient Greek words– melas and lukos, black and white. It is associated with the first description of the plant, when the bark of the trees seemed white to the researchers, but as if burnt from below to black.

Literature

1. Muravyova D. A. "Tropical and subtropical medicinal plants", Moscow, "Medicine", 1983 - 336 p.