Lemon-scented Myrtle
Lemon-scented Myrtle
| Family | Myrtaceae |
| Common Name | Lemon-scented Myrtle |
| Botanical Name | Backhousia citriodora |
| Country/ place of origin | Australia, Central east coast – QLD rainforest |
| Plant overview | This large shrub to small tree has a short trunk with spreading branches that form a dense rounded crown. It has lemon scented glossy green lanced-shaped leaves and the creamy-white fragrant bell-shaped flowers appear in a cluster in spring. The Lemon Scented Myrtle is grown for its fragrant foliage and its flowers. It is planted in parks and gardens as a lawn specimen for shade or used along borders for screening. It can be pruned to form a hedge or maintained as a shrub. |
| Life expectancy | Perennial – unknown number of years |
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Annual average rainfall | 800mm+, although consistent watering is more important than reaching annual rainfall amount |
| Shape/ growth habit | Small dome/ mallee shape |
| Height and spread | In native rainforest habitat 5-18mH x 8mW. In southern states it grows up to around 8 metres high and 3m wide in general. |
| Trunk diameter | Unknown – estimate 200-400mm |
| Foliage type | Evergreen |
| Preferred soil type | Well drained fertile, humus rich sandy to loamy moist soil, acidic, pH 5.5-7.5 |
| Year until first fruit | N/A |
| Productive lifespan | Lifespan of tree, as it is the leaves that are used |
| Productive season | All year round as it is an evergreen tree, therefore always in leaf and the leaf is the productive part |
| Water use | Medium |
| Tolerances | Moderate frost tolerance, pollution, 2nd line salt |
| Pests and diseases | No major pest or disease problem, powdery mildew |
| Wildlife attracting | Bees, nectar eating birds, butterflies |
| Disadvantages | Drought tender, slightly frost tender when young |
| Special requirements | Feed with blood and bone after flowering when young, mulch and keep moist during summer. Plant in a frost-free environment when young or create a microclimate near an east facing wall. |
| Propagation | Sow fresh seed during spring and maintain a temperature of 16 to 18 C (61 to 64 F). Take semi-hardwood cuttings during late summer. |
| Recommended uses | Lemon myrtle leaves are used fresh or dried as a culinary herb and tea, and dried as a spice. The fresh leaves can also be steam distilled to produce lemon myrtle essential oil, which is used as a food-flavouring agent in sweet and savoury applications. As a leaf product, it can be used instead of lemon grass in cooking, and in leaf or oil form it is popular in curries, pasta, cheesecakes, ice-cream, breads, dressings, sauces, drinks and syrups. It is also used as a street tree and for erosion control. |
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