What is a "Tea Tree?"?

Question

Just out of curiosity, what is it? Does it have a practical use or is it strictly ornamental?

Answer 1

Tea tree oil is a yellowish green-tinged essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odour. It is taken from the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia which is native to the northeast coast of New South Wales, Australia. The oil is claimed to have beneficial cosmetic and medical properties (including antiseptic and antifungal action).

The term "tea tree oil" is somewhat of a misnomer since Melaleuca alternifolia is a paperbark rather than a tea tree (genus Leptospermum). Tea tree oil should also not be confused with tea oil, the sweetish seasoning and cooking oil from pressed seeds of the tea plant Camellia sinensis or the tea oil plant Camellia oleifera.

Answer 2

The name 'Tea Tree' mostly applies to species of the genus Leptospermum. It has also been used for *some* Melaleuca species, particularly the ones with small leaves (not the big trees with broad leaves and papery bark like the species trying to take over the swamps of Florida). The name was given to the plants by the early european settlers in Australia who used the small leaves to make a tea of sorts to drink ... the oil in the leaves would give the drink a somewhat astringent taste. This practice didn't last long but the name stuck.

Apart from the Tea Tree oil, the main use for these species is as ornamentals.

Answer 3

Tea trees can be either in the genus Melaleuca or Leptospermum; tea tree oil, whose uses were listed above, is from Melaleucas. Leptospermums are ornamentals. Both genera can be a little weedy.