Niaouli tree

The niaouli tree, also known as Melaleuca viridiflora, is a tree found in Australia and tropical regions of South-East Asia, whose leaves and branch tips are used to extract essential oil.

The niaouli tree belongs to the genus of the myrtle pagans (Melaleuca) within the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). Some species of this genus - but also from the genera Baeckea, Kunzea and Leptospermum - are called tea tree.

The Niaouli tree is also called tea tree among other species of the genus and reaches growth heights of up to 30 m and has a cream-coloured to grey papery bark. Its leaves are elliptically shaped and are about 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. The flowers are mostly cream to greenish, sometimes pink to red. The shape of the flowers is reminiscent of a bottle brush from which the capsule fruits develop.

Melaleuca viridiflora is the parent plant of Niaouli aetheroleum the Niaouli oil.