Brisbane tree guide

Lemon-scented tea tree

Leptospermum petersonii · also called Lemon-scented teatree, Lemon tea tree

The lemon scented tea tree is a local native shrub or small tree whose leaves give off a strong lemon scent when crushed. It grows to about 5 metres, has flaky, fibrous bark and new growth flushed red, and covers itself in small white flowers in early summer. It makes a good screen or informal hedge in Brisbane gardens.

Native to South East Queensland
2 to 5 m tall
Flowers December to January

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Lemon-scented tea tree, from Wikimedia Commons — Photo: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lemon-scented tea tree at a glance

Height: 2 to 5 m
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: White, December to January
Origin: From Port Macquarie in NSW north into south-east Queensland
Family: Myrtaceae

How to identify a lemon-scented tea tree

Crush a leaf: most plants smell strongly of lemon. The leaves are narrow, 2 to 4 cm long and 2 to 5 mm wide, usually with a slightly notched tip, and new shoots are tinged red or purple. In December and January it carries white flowers 10 to 15 mm across, mostly borne singly rather than in clusters. Small woody capsules about 6 mm wide with a flaky surface follow. The bark is flaky, fibrous and stays on the trunk.

Growing a lemon-scented tea tree in Brisbane

This is a local plant. It grows naturally from Port Macquarie in New South Wales into south-east Queensland, including the Moreton district around Brisbane, usually near wet forest or rainforest on sandy soils or rocky escarpments. In a garden it suits a sunny or lightly shaded spot with well-drained soil. Its modest size suits suburban blocks, and Brisbane City Council's free native plants list recommends tea trees as screens, hedges or windbreaks.

Pruning and care

Trim it lightly and often, ideally straight after flowering, to keep it dense and full of flowers. It takes regular clipping as an informal hedge, or the lower branches can be removed over time to train it as a small tree. Water young plants until they settle in, then only during long dry spells. If an old plant has become leggy or overhangs a path or roof, a tree service can thin or remove it.

Lemon-scented tea tree: your questions

Short answers, from the sources below.

Back to the tree guide

How tall does a lemon scented tea tree grow?

It is a shrub or small tree that grows to about 5 metres tall. Regular trimming keeps it lower and bushier, which suits screens and hedges.

When does lemon-scented tea tree flower in Brisbane?

Mostly in December and January, when it is covered in small white flowers 10 to 15 mm across.

Is lemon-scented tea tree native to Brisbane?

Yes. It grows naturally from Port Macquarie in New South Wales into south-east Queensland, often near wet forest or rainforest on sandy soils or rocky escarpments.

Why does the lemon-scented tea tree smell of lemon?

Its leaves give off a strong lemon scent when crushed or brushed, which is where the common name comes from.

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Sources and credits

Photo: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

This profile updates sheet 55 of the plant profile booklet made for Colourful Tree Lopping in 2013. We checked every fact against current sources and rewrote it for the guide.

Checked October 2026. Weed listings and council rules change: check the council's and the Queensland Government's pages before you act.