Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Melaleuca cajuputi
Cajuput Tree
Melaleuca cajuputi, the Cajuput or Paperbark, carries thick, layered, papery white bark that peels in sheets, narrow grey-green aromatic leaves and cream bottlebrush flower spikes heavy with nectar. It is one of the toughest trees in the trade: it will take seasonal flooding, saline ground, poor infertile sand and coastal wind, sometimes all at once.
That range is why it turns up in coastal rehabilitation, low-lying park planting and windbreak rows as often as it does in ornamental schemes.
Specifications
- Height10 to 25 metres
- Width5 to 10 metres
- Native toNorthern Australia, New Guinea and Southeast Asia
- FoliageNarrow, lance-shaped grey-green leaves, aromatic when crushed; evergreen
- Growth rateFast
Conditions
- SoilTolerates a very wide range including seasonally waterlogged, saline and infertile sandy soils
- LightFull sun
- WaterModerate; tolerates both periodic flooding and dry spells once established
- ClimateThrives in tropical and subtropical regions, including coastal and low-lying sites
Additional Features
- FormPapery, layered white to cream bark on a trunk that is often characterfully crooked
- FlowersCream bottlebrush spikes, heavily worked for nectar
- UsesIdeal for windbreaks, coastal and low-lying site planting, shade and avenue rows and land rehabilitation
- SpacingPlant 5 to 8 metres apart for avenues, or 3 to 4 metres for a windbreak row
- Low MaintenanceMinimal pruning; tolerates hard cutting back where clearance is needed
- Pest ResistanceGenerally resilient
- Salt ToleranceTolerates saline soils and direct coastal exposure
- Wildlife AttractionNectar-rich flowers draw birds and bees in quantity
The Cajuput Tree is the answer where the ground is wet, salty or both and a real tree is still required.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 09 September 2026