A fragrant medicinal shrub whose leaves were traditionally brewed as tea and used for cleansing washes, steam inhalations, and natural first-aid. Today it is prized for producing high-grade manuka-style honey and for its beautiful white flowers that support bees, butterflies, and birds. Hardy, aromatic, and ecologically essential, this tea-tree helps stabilise coastal banks and signals healthy, clean water systems.

Indigenous Uses

1. Leaf infusions – traditional tea

Indigenous Australians used the leaves of Leptospermum species, including L. polygalifolium, to make a fragrant herbal drink:

• Crushed or rubbed leaves infused in hot water

• Used as a refreshing, calming tea

• Sometimes combined with mint, wattle leaves or other aromatic herbs

This is where the colonial term “tea-tree” originates — early settlers copied this practice.

2. Medicinal uses

This species contains antibacterial, antifungal and aromatic oils, making it an important medicinal plant.

Traditional uses include:

• Washes for wounds and sores

• Steam inhalations for:

  • Colds

  • Congestion

  • Sore throats

• Leaf poultices for skin ailments

• Infusions as a digestive tonic

Leaves were sometimes heated and held near the face for sinus clearing.

3. “Smoke medicine”

Burning small amounts of tea-tree foliage was used to create:

• Cleansing smoke

• Mosquito-repelling smoke

• Ritual purification of sleeping areas or tools

This was not ceremonial incense, but a practical and medicinal smoke.

4. Timber uses

The wood is:

• Hard

• Dense

• Fine-grained

Used traditionally for:

• Tool handles

• Spears (components)

• Digging implements

• Small carved items

Stories, Culture & Interesting Lore

1. A plant of protection

The strong lemon scent and medicinal oils made this plant symbolic of protection and cleansing.

Traditionally, tea-tree shrubs growing near camp edges were said to help:

• Keep insects away

• Keep the air “clean”

• Provide medicine close at hand

2. Associated with good water

Tea-trees often grow along:

• Streams

• Creeks

• Gullies

• Moist forest edges

Their presence indicated fresh water nearby, especially in dry seasons.

3. A healing companion plant

Many Indigenous healers describe tea-tree as a plant that “walks with people,” meaning:

• It grows where people travel

• It offers everyday medicines

• It supports common ailments (colds, cuts, bites, infections)

4. A bee-plant with a story

Native bees and European bees both love this species.

Some traditions note the abundance of insects around flowering tea-tree as a sign of seasonal change, especially the onset of warm weather.

Modern Uses

1. Manuka-style and Jellybush honey

Leptospermum polygalifolium is one of Australia’s important medicinal honey plants.

Produces:

• High MGO (methylglyoxal) honey

• Potent antibacterial honey comparable to NZ Manuka

• Thick “jellybush” honey favoured by apiarists

Highly prized in:

• Natural medicine

• Skincare

• Wound care products

2. Herbal teas & beverages

Leaves used for:

• Fresh lemon-scented tea

• Herbal blends

• Bushfood drinks

• Steam infusions

Taste profile: lemon-grass meets eucalyptus.

3. Natural products

Very popular in:

• Soaps

• Balms

• Salves

• Essential oils

• Liniments

• Natural insect repellents

The essential oils are highly bioactive.

4. Landscaping

Loved for:

• Fragrant foliage

• Creamy white spring flowers

• Hardy growth habit

• Tolerance of salt spray and poor soils

• Ability to form:

  • Windbreaks

  • Screens

  • Habitat hedges

Ideal for eco-accommodation gardens.

5. Bushcraft & education

Great for teaching:

• Aromatic plant uses

• Steam inhalation techniques

• First-aid plants

• The role of native species in medicinal honey production

Ecological Importance

Pollinators

Flowers attract:

• Native bees (especially small solitary bees)

• Hoverflies

• Butterflies

• Beetles

• European honeybees

Provides abundant nectar in spring and early summer.

Habitat value

The dense shrub structure offers:

• Safe nesting spots for small birds

• Shelter for reptiles

• Protection for small mammals

Fire ecology

• Moderately fire-tolerant

• Resprouts from lignotubers and protected stems

• Flowers heavily in the seasons following fire

• Important for post-fire pollinator support

Soil stabilisation

Its roots help:

• Bind banks

• Reduce erosion

• Improve structure in sandy or poor soils

Essential in coastal and riparian restoration.