Native ShrubsTrees

White bottlebrush — Melaleuca salicina

Melaleuca salicina

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

$7.00

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Plant profile

At a glance

The essentials for finding the right garden position.

Mature size: Height: 3–8 m · Width: 3–6 m
Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water: Moist, Seasonally wet
Soil: Loamy, Clay
Drainage: Free-draining, Poorly drained
Vegetation type: Wetlands / Swamps / Creek Margins, Wet Eucalypt
Plant lifespan: Long-lived perennial
Plant form: Shrubs, Trees

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

White bottlebrush is a large shrub or small tree with papery bark, soft foliage and pinkish new growth. Cream-white bottlebrush flowers provide seasonal interest before woody capsules develop. It suits informal screening and habitat gardens with enough room for a tree-sized plant.

Image credits:
Mature image: Geoff Derrin via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0
Feature image: Geoff Derrin via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0

More plant details

Garden uses: Habitat shrub, informal screen, mixed native border and mid-storey planting; especially suited to sites reflecting Wetlands / Swamps / Creek Margins, Wet Eucalypt.
Wildlife value: Melaleuca salicina offers a strong nectar and/or pollen resource, typically with conspicuous or abundant flowers that support a broad pollinator community. Melaleuca salicina provides a strong nectar resource for honeyeaters and other nectar-feeding birds. Melaleuca salicina develops substantial, persistent structure that can provide excellent refuge, nesting or screening habitat.
Flowering and fruiting: Cream-white bottlebrush flowers are followed by small woody capsules along the branchlets.
Growth habit: Woody shrub or small tree with an informal native habit; indicative mature size 3–8 m × 3–6 m.
Cautions: Can become a medium tree; allow room and avoid hard pruning into old wood.