About Leptospermum squarrosum Gaertn.
Leptospermum squarrosum Gaertn., commonly called peach blossom tea-tree, is an erect shrub with variable growth habit, reaching a height from less than 1 m to 4 m or more. It has thin, firm bark. Young stems are silky-hairy when new, and become hairless (glabrous) quickly. Its leaves are variable in shape, but most are broadly lance-shaped to elliptical, 5–15 mm long and 2–5 mm wide, with a sharply pointed tip and a base that tapers to a short petiole. The flowers are white or pink, most 10–20 mm wide, and arranged singly on short side shoots. The floral cup is stalkless (sessile), 2.5–4 mm long, and glabrous. The sepals are also glabrous and 2–3 mm long. There are five petals 3–7 mm long, and stamens 3–4 mm long. Flowering occurs mainly from March to April. The fruit is a capsule that is mostly 8–12 mm wide, and remains on the plant when it reaches maturity. This species grows in shrubland on sandstone soils in coastal areas and nearby tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, and is especially common in the Sydney region. In horticulture, this tea-tree is a hardy shrub that grows best in full sun in well-drained soil. It is also salt-resistant and can tolerate exposed growing positions.
