Melaleuca Quinquenervia vs. Melaleuca Leucadendra

Growth Habit

• The final height of both paperbarks depends on where they are planted. In dry ground, they seldom grow taller than 30 feet, but in marshy soil, they can tower to three times that height. Australian garden writer Don Burke describes the cajeput, whose branches weep, as being the punk’s “more attractive counterpart.” The punk tree has a skinnier, upright profile.

Leaves and Bark

• Burke also calls the cajeput’s foliage a “brighter green” than that of its relative. At 4 to 7 inches, its leaves are usually longer than the leathery ovals of the punk tree, which generally remain closer to 3 or 4 inches. Because both paperbark types smell strongly of camphor, they may cause problems for people with sensitivity to scent. The oils in their leaves also make them highly flammable. Peeling layers of bark can retain moisture, however, which often prevents the trees from dying during forest fires. “Punk” actually refers to that crumbling wood rather than a delinquent nature.

Flowers and Pods

• Punk tree produces bottlebrush-like white flowers up to 6 inches long at the tips of its branches from summer through fall. After flowering, those branches will be covered with button-like pods that can release millions of seeds from a single tree. Cajeput has similar white or somewhat greenish flowers, similar seed pods, and similarly generous seed dispersal.

Choosing a Melaleuca

• If you live in Florida, your choice is simple, since it is illegal to plant the punk tree there. You should probably avoid cultivating cajeput too, though, due to the possibility that it could become as invasive as its cousin. Both trees also have the potential for causing problems in Louisiana and Hawaii. They might be easier to control in hot and dry regions of Texas and California, where they wouldn’t self-seed as freely. For gardeners not bothered by strong scents, the best choice could be to severely limit the paperbarks by making bonsai specimens from them, in which case their decorative peeling bark would be an asset.