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Melaleuca lateritia
Also called Robin Red Breast
Melaleuca lateritia, commonly known as the robin redbreast bush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is also one of the most widely cultivated of the genus because of its attractive flowers which occur over a long period and for its adaptability to a range of climates. It is a medium-sized shrub normally 2–2.5 m (7–8 ft) high with coarse, fibrous bark.
Melaleuca lateritia is widely cultivated and it is well established in general horticulture. Although native to a dry summer climate it is one of the more adaptable to the wetter summer conditions of Australia's east coast. It grows best in well-drained soil in a sunny position, responds well to pruning to keep it in shape and to annual fertilising at the end of the flowering season. Honeyeaters, especially the eastern spinebill and New Holland honeyeater visit the flowers in Canberra.
Robin redbreast bush occurs in the Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographic regions of Western Australia. It grows in sandy soil in swampy areas.
Kalbarri Beaufortia · Dark Beaufortia · Badgingarra Beaufortia · Beaufortia bracteosa · Beaufortia burbidgeae · Stirling Range Bottlebrush · Gravel Bottlebrush · Elegant Beaufortia · Beaufortia empetrifolia · Beaufortia eriocephala · Grey Leaved Beaufortia · Beaufortia interstans
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Melaleuca lateritia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
