Choose tea tree by size and flower first: Manuka, Red Damask, Ruby Glow, or Snow White. We list four kinds.
Choose Manuka, Red Damask, Ruby Glow, or Snow White
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Species Manuka | L. scoparium | Buying Melaleuca oil stock as Manuka |
| Deep red double | Red Damask or Ruby Glow (6–8 ft) | A 3 ft front edge for a full-sized shrub |
| Compact white | Snow White (4–5 ft) | A Snow White waffle houseplant tag |
| Leaf tea or fragrance hedge | Skip — those are Camellia or tea olive | Copying Camellia or Osmanthus culture onto this myrtle |
Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of leptospermum that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.
2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.
Snow White stays about 4 to 5 feet. Red Damask and Ruby Glow reach 6 to 8 feet as dense doubles. [1] Garden tea tree is Leptospermum scoparium — not the commercial tea plant, and not the main tea-tree oil shrub. [2]
Is Manuka the same as New Zealand tea tree?
Yes. Manuka usually means L. scoparium, the same plant this page lists. Confirm Leptospermum on the tag.
Browse by kind
Manuka
Manuka (L. scoparium) is the species New Zealand tea tree: fine aromatic foliage and cup-shaped bloom in sun and drain.
Red Damask
Red Damask (L. scoparium ‘Red Damask’) is a 6 to 8 ft shrub with fully double deep-red flowers. Same drainage and after-bloom prune as the species.
Ruby Glow
Ruby Glow (L. scoparium ‘Ruby Glow’) is a dense 6 to 8 ft shrub with double ruby-red bloom. Mild winters, or a pot you can move.
Snow White
Snow White (L. scoparium ‘Snow White’) stays about 4 to 5 feet with white bloom. It is the compact kind that fits a large drained pot.
Not this tea tree — Melaleuca, Camellia, and tea olive
- Melaleuca (paperbark / bottlebrush myrtle) is a different genus. Crimson bottlebrush is often sold as Melaleuca citrina or Callistemon, and it will resprout from old wood — Leptospermum will not. [3]
- Camellia tea plant is Camellia sinensis, the leaf-tea shrub in Theaceae. It is not Manuka. [4]
- Tea olive is usually Osmanthus fragrans, a fragrant hedge. Search for tea olive tree is a different plant.
- Snow White waffle plant is a houseplant name collision. Our Snow White is L. scoparium ‘Snow White’.
Is tea tree the same as Melaleuca?
No. This catalog is Leptospermum (Manuka / New Zealand tea tree). Melaleuca is paperbark or bottlebrush myrtle. Confirm Latin on the tag.
If the tag says tea tree and the plant is bottlebrush, Camellia, or fragrant olive, put it back and match the Latin.
FAQ
Do we list Apple Blossom or Burgundy Queen?
No. Some grow lists include extra doubles. The four here are scoparium, Red Damask, Ruby Glow, and Snow White.
Is Snow White the waffle plant?
No. Snow White waffle plant is a different houseplant search. Our Snow White is a compact New Zealand tea tree.
Why does a label say tea myrtle?
Myrtle family is broad. Bottlebrush and paperbark are Melaleuca or Callistemon. Manuka is Leptospermum.
Related guides
References
- [1] The Spruce -
https://www.thespruce.com/new-zealand-tea-tree-growing-tips-3269176 - [2] Gardenia.net -
https://www.gardenia.net/plant/leptospermum-scoparium - [3] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/melaleuca-citrina/ - [4] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/camellia-sinensis/
This note is part of Leptospermum Guides.
More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors