Kanuka
Kunzea ericoides has softer leaves and smaller flowers.
Use the botanical sourceStudy first
Mānuka.
Leptospermum scoparium
Also found as Tea tree (NZ)
A prickly-leaved myrtle shrub of New Zealand and Australia with small white flowers, known for manuka honey.
Sources checked 27 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Before any gathering or use
Tea tree oil from Melaleuca is a different plant and is toxic if swallowed.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 7,249
- People who recorded it
- 2,581
- Most records (southern hemisphere)
- Sep–Jan, Apr
- Records span
- 1966–2026
| January | 990 |
|---|---|
| February | 493 |
| March | 493 |
| April | 647 |
| May | 445 |
| June | 345 |
| July | 433 |
| August | 339 |
| September | 513 |
| October | 602 |
| November | 851 |
| December | 998 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Shrub with small, sharp-pointed, aromatic leaves.
- 02
White or pink five-petaled flowers with a dark center.
- 03
Woody seed capsules that persist on stems.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
New Zealand and southeastern Australia.
Watch the plant stage
Leaves year-round; flowers in spring and summer.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Documented use & care
Parts discussed: Leaf
Leaves were brewed as tea by early European settlers.
Care for the patch
Manuka pollinators produce honey; leave flowers for bees.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- Wikipedia · Leptospermum scopariumBotanical description, range and documented use
- iNaturalist · Leptospermum scopariumTaxonomy and verified observation records
Checked 27 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction