More Tea?

Or to be more accurate: 'more tea-trees?' Here on the shores of the Irish Sea I am increasingly encouraged by the readiness of most tea trees - leptospermum species - to settle down and flourish so far from their Australasian home. I should add that my love affair with them is still in its early stages, as I only started experimenting with them about 3 years ago. So far I have only had two failures - Leptospermum grandiflorum (planted in the ground) and L.laevigatum (in a pot near the house), which both died during last winter, a winter that was both uncommonly wet and uncommonly cold for this area, temperatures falling to -7C on a couple of nights.

In contrast, L.liversidgei and L.'Silver Sheen' both survived, which pleased me as neither of them is in a particularly well-drained spot. L.liversidgei did look rather woebegone by the early spring, but it has since perked up and put on new growth. 'Silver Sheen', whose hairy silvery leaves are its chief asset, after having been very slow for two years, has put on some good extension growth this summer, so I have hopes of seeing it as impressive as the large specimen I saw at Coleton Fishacre Garden, in Devon, SW England, this autumn.

I'm also delighted that they germinate so easily from seed: I currently have 3 seedlings - Ll.morrisonii, myrtifolium and nitidum - which have made foot-high plants, and are ready for a permanent home. I'm told that they are reasonably hardy.

I've also acquired 2 cultivars of L.scoparium this year; a form called 'White Flurry' (of which I know nothing; any info, anyone?) and an un-named cultivar that was presented to me back in May. This had deep-pink buds which opened into pale pink double flowers. Very pretty, and if anyone has any ideas as to what it might be....

I'm now wondering which other species and/or varieties of leptospermum I should consider growing. Any ideas from other growers?

Einion Hughes,
Rhyl,
Denbighshire,
North Wales,
UK
(Zone 8/9-ish)   
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