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Melaleuca Alternifolia


N|teStar

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Posted
  • Location: 'Thames Snow Streamer Territory' aka Kent
  • Location: 'Thames Snow Streamer Territory' aka Kent

In the Spring I bought a Melaleuca Alternifolia [Tea Tree], back then it was about 2.5 feet tall, it is now just over 5.5 feet tall and growing in a pot. Throughout the summer its had lovely bright gree foliage and has thrived.....until now..I bought it indoors when we had a spate of frosts and it is looking very bare and dropping almost all its leaves, the ones it has left are extremely dry and curled despite watering etc. I have even put it back outside in a more sheltered spot....have i killied it by bringing it indoors ? or do u think it will revive itself ?

any advise from an experienced gardener will be appreciated !!

regards

N|teStar

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

I've no personal experience of this tree but this may help

Plants for a Future

"This species is not very cold hardy and is only likely to succeed outdoors in the very mildest parts of Britain. It tolerates temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[157] but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. "

RHS A-Z lists it as half hardy to frost tender evergreen.

I would be inclined to keep it indoors in a light airy position away from direct heat where it won't dry out too much and wait and see what happens. Keep moist but not waterlogged and don't feed untill it starts to put on some growth. Providing the rootball and trunk didn't get too badly frosted it may recover. It's a pretty looking tree and it would be a shame to give up on it just yet. If it does recover you can put it outside again once the danger of frost is over.

Edited by frogesque
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Posted
  • Location: Kent
  • Location: Kent
In the Spring I bought a Melaleuca Alternifolia [Tea Tree], back then it was about 2.5 feet tall, it is now just over 5.5 feet tall and growing in a pot. Throughout the summer its had lovely bright gree foliage and has thrived.....until now..I bought it indoors when we had a spate of frosts and it is looking very bare and dropping almost all its leaves, the ones it has left are extremely dry and curled despite watering etc. I have even put it back outside in a more sheltered spot....have i killied it by bringing it indoors ? or do u think it will revive itself ?

any advise from an experienced gardener will be appreciated !!

regards

N|teStar

Funny you should mention that but I brought in two plants - one a geranium and the other a flowering cacti - I brought them into the conservatory thinking they would be better in there than out in the frost and they had the same symptoms - withering up of the leaves, etc and the geranium flower buds were dying from the top down.

I wondered whether I had killed them by bringing them by giving them a temperature change - I put the geranium back out, but it still looks poorly.

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.
  • Weather Preferences: Anything extreme
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.

Although I've never grown a Melaleuca I have worked in greenhouses where they were grown and I suspect the reason for the leaf drop is either not enough water or a period of drying followed by watering.

Although they originate from much warmer climes than here, Melaleucas do not like drought or irregular watering.

Hopefully, if the stems are still green beneath the bark, it should recover.

T.M

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