| melaleuca | USDA PLANTS Symbol: MEQU U.S. Nativity: Exotic Habit: Hardwood Trees Shrub or Subshrub |
| Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake |
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Taxonomic Rank: Magnoliopsida: Myrtales: Myrtaceae |
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| Synonym(s): punktree, paperbark | |
| Native Range: Trop. Asia, Australasia, & Pacific-New Caled. (GRIN); | |
Melaleuca is a tall (up to 80 ft. [24.4 m]), evergreen tree in the eucalyptus family that invades wetland habitats in southern Florida. The bark is papery, layered, brownish-white and peeling. The alternate leaves are gray-green, oval, 1-4 in. (2.5-10.2 cm) long and smell of camphor when crushed. Flowering occurs throughout the year. The brush-like spikes of flowers are white in color and give way to small, woody, seed capsules. Seeds are spread by wind and water. Melaleuca aggressively invades a variety of wetland habitats including sawgrass marshes, wet prairies, and aquatic sloughs. It often forms impenetrable thickets, reduces biodiversity, displaces native vegetation and reduces the value of these habitats for wildlife. It also accelerates the loss of groundwater due to increased evapotranspiration. Melaleuca is native to Australia, New Guinea, and New Caledonia and was first introduced into the United States in southern Florida in the early 1900s for landscaping and “swamp drying” purposes. Melaleuca resembles red bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus), but the flowers of C. citrinus are red. |
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Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources
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| Selected Images from Invasive.org | View All Images at Invasive.org |
 Tree(s); habit Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Flower(s); flowers and fruit Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Foliage; Barry Rice, sarracenia.com, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Seedling(s); Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Flower(s); Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); Seed capsules. Albert (Bud) Mayfield, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); capsules Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); fruits Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Fruit(s); fruit Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Seed(s); Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Seed(s); Seeds. FNW taxon. Julia Scher, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Bark; papery trunk Forest & Kim Starr, Starr Environmental, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Control; Amy Ferriter, State of Idaho, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Stand; Aerial Application at Loxahatchee NWR Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
 Control; Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage |
| EDDMapS Distribution: This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts and records obtained from USDA Plants Database. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org Alternative content
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 State(s) Where Reported invasive. Based on state level agency and organization lists of invasive plants from WeedUS database. Alternative content
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| U.S. National Parks where reported invasive: |
| Everglades National Park (Florida) Haleakala National Park (Hawaii) |
