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| Category: Tree |
| Family: Myrtaceae (Myrtles) |
| Origin: Australia (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Fragrant Flowers: Yes |
| Height: 25-40 feet |
| Width: 15-25 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Agonis flexuosa (Peppermint Tree) - A small to medium (25-35 feet tall), fast-growing evergreen tree for mild winter regions. It has drooping willow-like, long dark green leaves that have a distinct peppermint aroma when crushed and clusters of small white flowers with pink petal bases that appear in May to June. Perfect choice for street, specimen or as a lawn tree. Plant in full sun to light shade in a well-drained soil with regular to occasional watering - moderately drought tolerant along the coast once established but is more lush with occasional deep irrigation. This tree is noted as not being tolerant of temperatures below 28 ° F but there are well established trees in locations in the Santa Barbara area that get occasional winter temperatures to below 23 ° F. It also tolerates windy coastal conditions. Research on Western Australian plants has also shown this species to have some resistance to the Cinnamon Root fungus (Phytophthora cinnamomi). This plant comes from a strip just inland from the coast in Western Australia from north of Perth south through the Swan Coastal Plain, then along the southern coast to near Fitzgerald River National Park. There are several interpretations for how the name Agonis is derived. One interpretation is that the genus is named from the Greek word 'agonos' which is a combination of 'a' for "not" and 'gonia' for "angle" meaning "without angles" in reference to soft drooping branches of some species, while others believe it is from the Greek word 'agon' meaning "a gathering" or "a cluster" in reference to the arrangement of the fruit. The specific epithet comes from the Latin word 'flexuos' meaning "bending" or "curvy" in reference to the way the branches arch gracefully. Other common names include Peppermint Willow, Western Australian Peppermint, Swan River Peppermint, Willow Myrtle and the Noongar, the Aboriginal Australian people who inhabited the south-west corner of Australia, called it Wonnil (also Wanil, Wonnow or Wonong) and used the tree for many purposes. The wood was used for tool making and the aromatic foliage for ceremonies and it or the oil used for healing medicine. In the US this tree is sometimes referred to as "Australian Willow" but this name is usually reserved for the somewhat similar looking Geijera parviflora. Agonis flexuosa was first introduced into California in 1871 by Stephen Nolan at his Belluvue Nursery in San Francisco. We also grow several select cultivars of it, including Agonis flexuosa 'Burgundy', Agonis flexuosa 'Jervis Bay Afterdark' and Agonis flexuosa 'Nana'. We have grown this attractive and useful tree at our nursery since 1979.
The information about Agonis flexuosa displayed on this page is based on research conducted in our nursery library and from online sources we consider reliable. We will also relate those observations made of this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and in other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has additional information, particularly when they share cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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