Melaleuca pulchella – Claw Honey Myrtle

Melaleuca pulchella (Claw Honey Myrtle) is a hardy perennial evergreen that is native to southern Western Australia. Claw Honey Myrtles are popular landscaping plants for their long flowering season and low-maintenance and tolerance to poor soils and drought. The flowers are a beautiful pink/purple and are shaped like a claw.

Suitable for Temperate, Dry and Sub-Tropical climates.

Melaleuca pulchella is also commonly known as the Claw Flower while pulchella is derived from pulchellus which translates to ‘very pretty.’

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GROWTH:

Melaleuca pulchella grows to an average height of 3 metres (10 feet) and a width of 2 metres (7 feet). This Australian native is tolerant of a wide range of soils and moisture and grows well under Eucalyptus trees, in pots or as a decorative hedge. Established plants perform well when pruned early in the winter.

Claw Honey Myrtle leaves are ovate to elliptic in shape and are small, growing no larger than 6mm. Each branch contains many of the leaves which have large oil glands underneath. The flowering season starts in early Spring and can extend until well into the Autumn.  They range in colour from pink to mauve and occur either on their own or in groups of up to four. Each flower contains up to 100 stamens and are renowned for their ability to attract bees into the garden.

Flowering is followed by woody, urn-shaped fruit capsules that grow to around 6mm in length. The Claw Honey Myrtle usually takes between 3-5 years to reach full maturity.

Note: Germination instructions can be found in the ‘Germination Instructions Tab’ below. Upon purchase you will receive these detailed instructions via email so that you have a permanent record.

 

FAMILY:

Myrtaceae

CLIMATE:

Temperate, Tropical, sup-tropical

TEMPERATURE RANGE:

-8°C to 40°C / 18°F to 104°F

SOIL TYPE:

Moist soil.

LOCATION:

Full sun, will tolerate some shade.

HEIGHT:

Up to 3 metres (10 feet)

WIDTH:

Up to 2 metres (7 feet)

pH:

6.5-7.5

GROWTH TYPE:

Evergreen

WATER REQUIREMENTS:

Low-Medium

POLLINATION:

Insect Pollinated. Self fertile with both male and female parts present on same flower.

MATURITY:

3-5 years

GERMINATION RATES:

60-75%

GERMINATION TIME:

1-4 weeks

SEEDS PER GRAM:

5000

MEDICINAL QUALITIES:

No

WEED POTENTIAL:

No

EDIBLE:

No

SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:

Cold Storage at 4°C (Fridge) up to 5 years.

 

FACTS ABOUT MELALEUCA PULCHELLA ( Claw Honey Myrtle)

Melaleuca pulchella is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It grows natively in sandy soils, dunes and swamps throughout the Esperance Plains and Mallee regions.

In 1812, Robert Brown formally described the Melalueca pulchella and was published in William Aiton’s Hortus Kewensis.