Herb latin name: Melaleuca bracteata


Family: Myrtaceae (Myrtle Family)



Medicinal use of Melaleuca bracteata:

An essential oil obtained from the fresh leaves and twigs is antiseptic.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
6 m
(20 feet)

Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Banks of rivers and streams.

Other uses of Melaleuca bracteata:

An essential oil obtained from the leaves is germicidal and is used in insecticides to increase their potency. The oil is heavier than water.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - surface sow in spring or autumn onto a pot of permanently moist soil in a warm greenhouse. Emmerse in 5cm of water and do not water from overhead. Grow on until the seedlings are 0.5cm tall then remove from the water and pot up a week later. Seedlings are liable to damp off when grown this way, sowing the seed thinly, good ventilation and hygiene are essential for success. Grow the plants on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe lateral shoots with a heel, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of Melaleuca bracteata:

Banks of rivers and streams.

Known hazards of Melaleuca bracteata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.