Care Guide | New Zealand Tea
Manuka honey—the queen of all honeys with its richer, darker, and fuller flavor—is produced by bees that call the New Zealand Tea Tree's flowers home base during snack time. In fact, the nectar is such a staple of the bees' diet that the New Zealand Tea Tree is often referred to simply as Manuka.
But it's not just bees that find this plant delightful; many people think the leaves also make a delightful cup of tea, especially with a spoonful of Manuka honey. The tea is often described as earthy, woody, and sweet yet slightly bitter.
Characteristics
New Zealand Tea Tree (Leptospermum scoparium) is an upright shrub known for its beautiful pink blooms and its connection to Manuka honey.
Overview
🏷️ Scientific Name: Leptospermum scoparium
📊 Classification: Upright shrub
📍 Origin: New Zealand and Australia
🗺️ USDA Hardiness Zones: 9–11
📏 Height Potential: 6–10 feet
🏡 Planting: Outdoors
☀️ Light: Full sun to part shade
💧 Watering: Medium moisture
🍴 Fertilizer: 10-30-20 fertilizer
🐝 Pollinators: Bees
🐈 Toxic to Pets? Yes — not pet friendly
Scientific Name
The scientific name for New Zealand Tea Tree is Leptospermum scoparium.
Classification
New Zealand Tea Tree is an upright shrub that produces beautiful pink blooms. The plant is also closely associated with Manuka honey because bees use its flowers as a major source of nectar.
Origin
New Zealand Tea Tree is native to New Zealand and Australia.
USDA Hardiness Zones
New Zealand Tea Tree thrives in USDA Zones 9–11. It should be protected from frost and freezing temperatures. Learn more in our overwintering guide.
Height Potential
New Zealand Tea Tree can reach approximately 6–10 feet tall at maturity.
Planting
New Zealand Tea Tree can be grown outdoors in an appropriate climate.
Light
New Zealand Tea Tree grows in full sun to part shade.
Soil/Watering
New Zealand Tea Tree requires medium moisture.
Fertilizer
We recommend 10-30-20 fertilizer ratio
Flowers & Pollinators
New Zealand Tea Tree produces beautiful pink blooms. Its flowers are especially important to bees. Bees collect nectar from the flowers, which is used in the production of Manuka honey.
Pet Friendly?
New Zealand Tea is not considered pet-friendly, so keep it out of your furry friends' reach.
After Arrival Care
Please give your plant a little TLC after its journey through the mail 📬. Here are a few steps we recommend:
- Unwrap immediately to provide fresh air to the plant and soil.
- Wait a few days before exposing to full sunlight so your plant can adjust after being in a dark box for several days.
- Always protect from heat and cold because temperature extremes can be stressful or deadly for plants.
- Water. Your baby plant may be parched and even a little wilted but thorough hydration will help it recover.
- Grow out in a larger pot to increase your chances of success—i.e., a quarter gallon—Then transplant to the ground or the next pot size up once the roots fill to the bottom. This will help the plant get sufficient water and nutrients directly to the roots.
Learn more in our After Arrival Care Guide.
Repotting
We highly recommend growing your baby plant out in a larger pot 🪴 to increase your chances of success 🏆. Repotting helps focus the water and nutrients directly towards the roots. If the pot is too large or if your baby is planted in the ground, the water and nutrients have more room to spread to the wrong places where they aren’t needed. This can be extra detrimental to a baby plant that needs all the support it can get as it’s growing up.
You don’t have to repot immediately, but the sooner you do, the more room it has to grow.
Here are some general repotting tips:
- Start with a pot that's 1-2 inches larger in diameter than the starter-sized pot it came in. A pint or quart would be great.
- Transplant to the next pot size up once the roots fill to the bottom.
Learn more in our Repotting Guide.
Grow Your Own Teas
Start or continue growing your own homegrown tea collection with Wellspring Gardens. Want something to sip on while you wait for your own tea to grow? Try our carefully-curated collection of unique, ready-to-drink, dry teas.
Happy planting! 🪴