Thyme honey-myrtle (Melaleuca thymifolia)

When it flowers

January, flowering
February, flowering
March, not flowering
April, not flowering
May, not flowering
June, not flowering
July, not flowering
August, not flowering
September, flowering
October, flowering
November, flowering
December, flowering

Melaleuca thymifolia labeled at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. Photo: Poyt448 Peter Woodard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Thyme Honey Myrtle. Photo: Brisbane City Council, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Thyme Honey-myrtle, Melaleuca thymifolia. Royal National Park, NSW Australia, November 2012.. Photo: John Tann from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Small, neat shrub with feathery mauve flowers through spring and summer.

A compact shrub with small, aromatic leaves and unusual mauve to purple claw-shaped flowers over a long season. Copes with damp soil and suits small gardens, borders and pots.

In the garden

Pots and containers
Rockery
Pond and bog edges

Attracts: Pollinating insects and butterflies
Flowers: Feathery mauve to purple claw-shaped flowers along the stems.
Leaves: Small, blue-green leaves with a spicy scent when crushed.

Growing conditions

Climate: Subtropical and temperate
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Sandy, loam and clay
Drainage: Copes with occasional wet
Frost: Moderate frost
Water: Some dry spells

Planting and care

Grown from: Cuttings

Planting

Sun or part shade; space 60 cm apart. Happy in damp spots.

Pruning

Trim lightly after flowering to keep it compact.

Care

Water through long dry spells. Usually trouble-free; prune out tips webbed by sawfly larvae.

Where it comes from

Native to: New South Wales and Queensland
Natural range: Damp heath and woodland of coastal and tableland NSW and south-east Queensland.

Widely available.

We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.

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Thyme honey-myrtle Melaleuca thymifolia