Municipalities

Scientific Name

Melaleuca gibbosa

Family Name

MYRTACEAE

Common Name

Small-leaved Melaleuca

Status

Height

1.0m - 3.0m (100-300cm)

Flowers

Mauve, in small dense oblong spikes.Flowers sparsely throughout the year, mainly Spring.

Fruit

Woody capsule

Form

Shrub with branches often slender and spreading.

Municipalities

Break O'Day; Burnie; Clarence; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Northern Midlands; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard

Communities

Coastal Vegetation; Heath

Habitat Notes

Wet, peaty ground in east, north-east and north-west. Grows vigorously in exposed spots such as Cape Bruny and Hurricane Heath.

Site Tolerance

Exposed; Moist; Windy

Frost Tolerance

Moderate

Soil Tolerance

Loam; Poor; Poorly-drained; Sandy; Well-drained

General Notes

Susceptible to browsing by possums and wallabies. Suitable below powerlines.

Propagation Details

Propagation Calendar

Flowering Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Collecting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sowing Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cutting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Information

Seed Collection

Fruits in cylindrical spikes, the branches continue to grow so that old fruits encircle the stem. seeds very fine, like short hairs

Seed Treatment Method

Standard

Seed Storage Life

Long

Viable Seeds Per Gram

1500

Seed Treatment Notes

Unlike some Melaleucas, Melaleuca gibbosa drops its seed on maturity. Seed gives good germination.Soluble fertilizer may be needed if no growth is obvious 2 weeks after germination.

Germination Time

10-30 days

Suitable for Direct Seeding

Yes

Cuttings

Expected Time to Take Root

Expected Time to Plant Out

Propagation by Division N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.

Cutting Notes

May be struck from cuttings collected when plant is flowering. Hormone powder assists .