How To Grow Lemon Myrtle

Lemon myrtle deserves a place in your garden. This popular Australian native bush tucker plant is much loved for its lemon-scented foliage. Grow it as a feature tree in the garden, in a large pot, or use it as a hedge or privacy screen.

What is lemon myrtle

Name: lemon myrtle, lemon-scented myrtle, lemon ironwood, sweet verbena tree (Backhousia citriodora).

Lemon myrtle is a popular native shrub or small tree that occurs naturally in the wetter coastal areas of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. It has leaves that, when used fresh, have a stimulating and refreshing smell, while its white flowers are pleasing to the eye. For storage, the leaves are cool-dried (to prevent the loss of essential oils) and then ground and stored in a cool, dry place for later use. This rainforest tree is used to create lemon myrtle essential oil and can even be used in foods like lemon myrtle leaf ice creams.

Height: 3–8m.

Plant type: Large shrub or small tree.

Climate: Frost-free temperate zones, sub-tropical.

Soil: Moist and well drained, enriched with plenty of organic matter.

Position: Full sun to part shade.

Foliage: Evergreen, glossy green, strongly lemon-scented when crushed or after rain.

Flowering and fruiting: Masses of lightly perfumed, creamy-white, fluffy flowers appear in summer and autumn, followed by small, nut-like capsules.

Feeding: Feed after flowering with a native-specific fertiliser.

Watering: Water regularly when young. Once established, it is fairly drought tolerant but will benefit from a deep watering in hot, dry weather.

Appearance and characteristics of lemon myrtle

Lemon myrtle is a beautiful, evergreen shrub or tree with a dense growth habit. It naturally forms a narrow, cone-shaped crown, but regular tip pruning will encourage it to spread and become more rounded. Its leaves are oval, glossy-green, and strongly lemon-scented. As such, it’s a popular cooking ingredient in the kitchen – in both savoury and sweet dishes – and many gardeners love it too, as the fragrance is quite prominent after rain, and it offers a sensory experience when pruning.

The creamy-white flowers are prolific in summer and are highly attractive to beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies, as well as nectar-feeding birds.

A flowering lemon myrtle plant with light yellow flowers and long green leaves.

Lemon myrtle uses

Its dense, neat form makes it an ideal showcase tree, screen or hedge. The leaves can be crushed to make myrtle oil that can be used for cooking. Ground or whole myrtle leaves can also be used to make teas by brewing them in water, or used in savoury dishes or with grilled meats and vegetables.

How to grow and care for lemon myrtle

Lemon myrtle prefers a spot in full sun with well-drained soil. Enrich with compost and well-aged manure and fork in well.

If growing in a pot, choose a large one and use a quality potting mix. Dig a hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the existing root ball. Remove the plant from its pot, loosen the mix to free the roots and place it in the centre of the planting hole. Backfill, firm the soil and water it well.

Apply a layer of organic mulch around the base of the tree – keeping it away from the trunk – to help conserve soil moisture and suppress weed growth.

Water regularly after planting and until well established. When young, tips can be regularly pinched or pruned to encourage a bushy, rounded habit – use the clippings for cooking or as propagation material.

Harvest the leaves for use as needed.

How often should you water and feed lemon myrtle?

Water regularly to keep the soil moist. Reduce frequency during the cooler months but increase during summer and in hot, dry spells. Mulching will help to keep the soil moist.

Feed after flowering with a slow-release native fertiliser.

How and when to prune lemon myrtle

Trees can be cut back at any time of the year. Hedges and privacy screens can be lightly pruned regularly to encourage a dense habit. For a classic tree shape, remove the lower branches from the main trunk.

Diseases and pests that affect lemon myrtle

Myrtle rust is a fungus that can attack the new growth of young plants. It causes the leaves to develop dark purple spots, which are eventually covered in bright yellow powdery spores. At present, there are no fungicides available to control myrtle rust in the home garden. However, by keeping trees healthy with regular feeding and watering, they will be less susceptible to fungal attacks.

How to propagate lemon myrtle

Lemon myrtle can be propagated via seeds or cuttings. Soak seeds overnight and sow in trays with seed-raising mix, ensuring they are only lightly covered with the mix. Position in a warm spot and mist regularly to keep the soil moist. Germination can take 3–8 weeks.

Alternatively, take softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings in autumn and strike in a pot filled with a mix of coarse sand and potting mix.

Safety tip

After applying fertiliser, delay harvesting for a few days and rinse well before cooking and eating. Always wear the appropriate safety equipment and always follow the instructions carefully when using pesticides. Store all garden chemicals out of the reach of children and pets.