Botanical atlas

Flax-leaved Paperbark

Melaleuca linariifolia

Long before it had a Latin name, the Aboriginal peoples of eastern Australia relied on this tree for far more than medicine. Its thick, papery bark peels away in soft layers and was used to wrap food for cooking in earth ovens, to line coolamons and cradles, and to thatch simple shelters. The aromatic, oil-rich leaves were crushed and inhaled or applied as a folk remedy for congestion and minor skin troubles, a practice that European settlers later adopted and refined. Early sailors who steeped the leaves of melaleuca trees for a bracing, medicinal-tasting tea are part of why this whole family of trees came to be called tea trees.

Safety.

Like other tea tree type oils, this one is toxic if swallowed, even in small amounts, and poses a risk to children and pets. Dilute before skin use and patch test first, since undiluted oil can irritate skin.