This shrub has an upright spreading habit with arching branches forming a compact rounded habit. It has small mid green lanced-shaped leaves and the orange to red cup-shaped flowers appear in a bottlebrush-like spike on older wood during summer.

Hardiness zones 9 to 10 

Melaleuca hypericifolia is naturally found on the east coast of Australia from central New South Wales to the Victorian border growing in damp heath and as an understorey plant in woodlands.

 It prefers an open sunny position and grows in well drained fertile sandy soils and is drought tolerant but heavy-frost tender.
 
The Red-flowered Paper-bark has a dense rounded habit and is grown as a screen or filler plant in borders and as a specimen in medium size gardens or parks. It is suitable for coastal or mountain regions and establishes in 3 to 5 years. This low maintenance shrub is bird attracting and tolerates most positions. ID 1209

Melaleuca (me-la-LOO-ka) hypericifolia (hi-pe-ree-ki-FO-lee-a)

'Melaleuca': from Greek melanos + leukos - black & white (refers to the first species described, M. quinquenervia, which had a burnt, blackened trunk and white branches); 'hypericifolia': leaves like Hypericum.

Myrtaceae (mir-TAY-see-ee)
Myrtle, Eucalyptus, Clove and Guava Family