Melaleuca and Allied Genera Study Group

This group has closed for the time being.

There are over 20 study groups within the Society whose aims are to further knowledge about the cultivation, propagation and conservation of specific Australian plants. Members of all study groups are mainly keen amateurs with no formal horticultural or botanical knowledge, although a number of professionals in those fields also participate. The members' work is carried out in their own homes and gardens and in their own spare time.

There was originally a separate group allocated to each of the genera Melaleuca and Callistemon. However, when the Callistemon group was closed, it seemed logical to include it with Melaleuca (given the close relationship of the two genera) and to also include other related genera within the Leptospermum Alliance (eg. Leptospermum, Kunzea, Calothamnus, Beaufortia and Eremaea.

During the Group's period of operation, its newsletters documented reports from members into cultivation issues, propagation methods and natural occurrences of different species. These reports assisted in assessing the suitability of various species for cultivation in a range of climatic zones and in preparing articles for the Society's journal Australian Plants. The reports were also used to compile a checklist of species and their performance under cultivation in a range of districts. The checklist, running to about 80 pages was published in 1999.

Left: Melaleuca diosmatifolia. Right: Kunzea baxteri. Photos: Brian Walters