Botanical atlas

Yellow Tea-tree

Leptospermum flavescens

Long before it had a Latin name, this hardy little tree was part of everyday bush life for Aboriginal Australians, who crushed its aromatic leaves and pressed them against cuts, insect bites, and irritated skin, and who inhaled the steam of boiled leaves to help clear a stuffy head. Its story is tangled up with the very name tea-tree, which sailors on Captain Cook's voyages gave to plants in this genus after brewing a rough, fragrant tea from the leaves to fend off scurvy on long ocean crossings. Colonial settlers carried that habit inland, sipping a light infusion much the way they would any bush tea, valuing it for a warming, clearing cup rather than as a treat. Today Leptospermum flavescens still grows wild across its native range, a quiet reminder of how much everyday medicine and comfort once came straight from the hedgerow.

Safety.

Yellow tea-tree isn't known to be seriously toxic, but its essential oil is concentrated and shouldn't be taken internally or used undiluted on skin, since it can irritate or sensitize.