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melaleuca

I have been trying to identify a very common bush (small tree) that
seems to be only appealing to our local highway landscape
planners. The bush has soft needle like foliage, peeling bark and
light yellow or brownish red small scented bottlebrush plumes. I
believe it to be a type of Melaleuca (origin Australia?).

I think I'm one of the few that loves trees that produce bottlebrush
flowers, like the Calistemon (or the Fothergilla). The poor Calistemon
takes such a bad rap due to it's commonness in the Bay Area (give me
Bottlebrush any day over Oleander, another very common garden and
highway bush in my area). The Melaleuca (if I've identified it
correctly) not only has wonderful little plume like flowers, but it
has interesting soft FULL green or greenish blue foliage.

Oddly enough I've never seen the bush/tree planted in gardens and I've
never seen it sold in nurseries. One of my garden books says there are
over 140 species; one or two must be of manageable size as a backdrop
for a small garden. So what's the lowdown on this bush? Why if there's
so many species we only see one or two types grown along our freeways?

Just curious...
Dave

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	Dave Encisco
	dencisco@eos.arc.nasa.gov
	NASA Ames Research Center
	AF Division (415) 604-1381
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