Tantoon — Leptospermum polygalifolium

Leptospermum polygalifolium

Host plant for butterflies and insects Pollinator favourite Shelter for wildlife Showy flowers Resilient garden plant

$8.00

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Pickup from Worongary or delivery across the Gold Coast and nearby areas. Delivery options are shown at checkout.

Plant profile

At a glance

The essentials for finding the right garden position.

Mature size: Height: 2–5 m · Width: 2–4 m
Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water: Moist, Seasonally wet
Soil: Sandy, Loamy, Clay
Drainage: Poorly drained
Vegetation type: Wallum / Sandy Heath, Wetlands / Swamps / Creek Margins, Wet Eucalypt
Plant lifespan: Long-lived perennial
Plant form: Shrubs

Plant ratings

A quick guide to this plant’s value for wildlife and the garden.

Bird food value
Host plant value
Pollinator value
Shelter & habitat value
Flower display
Garden resilience

About this plant

Tantoon is an informal native shrub that adds texture, seasonal interest and useful mid-storey structure. White five-petalled flowers are followed by small woody capsules along fine branches. Its informal form works well in mixed native borders, screening and the mid-storey of a layered habitat garden.

Image credits:
Mature image: Thomas Mesaglio via iNaturalist — CC BY 4.0
Feature image: John Tann from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0

More plant details

Garden uses: Habitat shrub, informal screen, mixed native border and mid-storey planting; especially suited to sites reflecting Wallum / Sandy Heath, Wetlands / Swamps / Creek Margins, Wet Eucalypt.
Wildlife value: Leptospermum polygalifolium offers a strong nectar and/or pollen resource, typically with conspicuous or abundant flowers that support a broad pollinator community. Leptospermum polygalifolium is not primarily selected for bird food, although birds may still forage or perch in it. Leptospermum polygalifolium provides useful shrub / small tree structure for cover, perching and movement through a layered garden.
Flowering and fruiting: White five-petalled flowers are followed by small woody capsules along fine branches.
Growth habit: Woody shrub or small tree with an informal native habit; indicative mature size 2–5 m × 2–4 m.
Cautions: Responds poorly to hard pruning into old bare wood; select a position suited to its mature form.