COMMERCIAL NURSERY – NATIVE TREE

Melaleuca styphelioides – Prickly Paperbark, Prickly-leaved paperbark

Melaleuca styphelioides, Prickly Paperbark, is a medium tree that may reach a height of 20 metres. The papery bark peels off in strips. Leaves are ovate, dark green, up to 15 millimetres long and crowned with a sharp point (hence the common name). The prickly foliage provides nesting sites for small native birds.

M. styphelioides grows along stream banks and low-lying areas. In cultivation the species will also survive and thrive in well-drained situations. Foliage, flowers and bark are all attractive features. The Prickly Paperbark is widespread in NSW and occurs in tableland and coastal areas as well as Queensland. There are isolated populations in Victoria. The Prickly Paperbark is used as a street tree in some Sydney and Melbourne suburbs as it flowers nicely and can handle the pollution.

Uses: Ornamental, habitat, screen