Paper bark tea tree

Paper-bark tea tree – gurrundurrung

What is a paper-bark tea tree?

Paper-bark tea trees have pale flaking papery bark, leaves with a strong aroma and brush-like flowers. They are members of the Melaleuca genus. The Darug word for paper-bark tea tree is gurrundurrung.

The species growing in Field of Mars Reserve and neighbouring Lane Cove National Park include Melaleuca decora – white feather honeymyrtle,  Melaleuca ericifolia – swamp paper-bark, Melaleuca linariifolia – snow in summer, Melaleuca quinquenervia – broad-leaved paper-bark and Melaleuca styphelioides – prickly-leaved paper-bark.  

The name ‘tea tree’ also applies to the genus Leptospermum. Leptospermum species are shrubs with distinctive five-petalled flowers and small round seed pods with five segments. They also have aromatic leaves.

What do paper-bark tea trees look like?

Characteristics of the Melaleuca species are the layered papery bark on the trunks and flowers that look like bottle-brushes. Each ‘flower’ is actually several clusters of flowers, the visible part being the long fine soft stamens. The fruit form as woody seed capsules clustered along the ‘flower stem’.

Whilst they all have flaking papery bark and aromatic leaves, there are differences between the species. Melaleuca decora – white feather honey myrtle – grows to about seven metres tall and has white or pale cream flowers and narrow leaves, growing along the stem alternately. Melaleuca ericifolia – swamp paper-bark – has pale cream flowers and short narrow leaves. It grows densely as a tall shrub or can grow as a tree to about nine metres tall. Melaleuca linariifolia – snow in summer – also has pale cream flowers but longer leaves. It also grows as a shrub or small tree to about 10 metres.

The very spiky Melaleuca styphelioides – prickly-leaved paper-bark – has white or pale cream flowers and has short narrow spiky leaves. It can grow to 20 metres tall and has dense foliage. Melaleuca quinquenervia – broad-leaved paper-bark – has longer, wider leaves, usually with five visible veins running the length of the leaf. It has white or pale cream flowers and can grow to 20 metres tall and 100 years old.

How are paper-bark tea trees used by Aboriginal Peoples of the area?

A medicine plant, the aromatic oil in the leaves of paper-bark tea trees has antiseptic properties and can be used on cuts and abrasions. The leaves can be crushed and rubbed on the forehead or crushed, boiled or burned and inhaled to relieve the symptoms of colds such as headaches, coughs, runny nose and sore throat. Note – the leaves and oil cannot be ingested or eaten. 

First used by the Bundjalung Peoples of the northern rivers area of NSW, tea tree oil distilled from Melaleuca alternifolia has been commercially produced since 1923 for use by humans as an antiseptic.

The papery bark can be used to wrap food such as fish for baking in a fire. Large thick sheets of paper bark can be used as a roofing material on gunyahs – shelters – providing weather protection and helping to deter mosquitoes. 

Because the bark is soft, it can also be used as bedding and to line coolamons when used for carrying a baby. A coolamon is a large shallow wooden bowl.

Where do paper-bark tea trees grow?

Along the banks of waterways, swamps and the outer edge of salt marshes are the natural habitat of paper-bark tea trees. In salt marshes, swamp paper-bark tea trees grow just above the maximum tide mark between saltmarsh plants and eucalypts. Paper-bark tea trees are often planted as shade trees in large gardens, parks and school grounds.

What food and habitats do paper-bark tea trees provide?

The flowers of paper-bark tea trees are rich in nectar and used by nectar feeding birds such as rainbow lorikeets and honey eaters, mammals such as possums and flying foxes and invertebrates such as native and introduced bees. 

The dense foliage can provide shelter and nest sites for small birds. Spiders build webs amongst the layers of bark.

What other roles do paper-bark tea trees play in the ecosystem?

The spreading shallow roots of paper-bark tea trees help to stabilise the soil and stabilise the banks of creeks, swamps and lakes. They intersect and form a mat-like base. Their roots can stain the water a dark brown colour – like dark tea.

What adaptations do paper-bark tea trees have?

Adaptations of paper-bark tea trees relate mainly to their growth and survival in swampy and wet environments. Their root systems are spreading providing stability in wet and soggy soils. Some species have adaptations to mildly saline water and to being water logged such as fibrous roots around the base of the tree which are thought to act as ‘breathing roots’. 

The thick bark of paper-bark tea trees provides protection from fire. The Greek derivation of the word Melaleuca is ‘melas’ – black, ‘leukos’ – white, and refers to ‘black fire scars on white trunks’ (Hornsby Shire Council).

How do paper-bark tea trees reproduce?

Most paper-bark tea trees flower in spring or summer. They are pollinated mainly by insects but also birds and arboreal mammals such as possums. Following flowering, clusters of woody seed capsules are formed. Each seed pod holds thousands of tiny seeds. The seed pods usually only open during a bushfire or if the plant dies.

What threats do paper-bark tea trees face and how can we help?

Loss of habitat through clearing and reclamation of swamps result in loss of species and fragmentation. Other impacts include changing water levels and water quality which result in changed soil moisture and chemical composition. Other impacts include weed invasion resulting in inability for seeds to germinate and succeed.

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