{"product_id":"melaleuca-linariifolia-claret-tops","title":"Claret Tops Snow in Summer - Melaleuca linariifolia ‘Claret Tops’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eClaret Tops Snow in Summer - Melaleuca linariifolia ‘Claret Tops’\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Claret Tops’ takes the fine textured foliage and summer white flower of snow in summer and delivers it on a compact frame instead of a 9m tree. Selected from \u003cem\u003eMelaleuca linariifolia\u003c\/em\u003e, it flushes deep claret to burgundy on every new growth tip, holding that colour strongest through the cooler months against soft grey green needle like leaves. It suits the position where a westringia is too plain and the straight species is far too large, and like its parent it copes with ground that goes wet in winter and dry in summer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy ‘Claret Tops’\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBurgundy New Growth\u003c\/strong\u003e: Every flush breaks claret red over the fine foliage, so colour is not limited to a short flowering window.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCompact Frame\u003c\/strong\u003e: It holds a naturally rounded shrub habit well under the height of the species, keeping it usable near paths and windows.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSnow White Flowering\u003c\/strong\u003e: Fluffy white brushes smother the plant in late spring and early summer, the display that gives snow in summer its name.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWet and Dry Tolerance\u003c\/strong\u003e: The species grows in swampy ground yet handles dry spells once established, a rare combination in a formal looking shrub.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFine Texture\u003c\/strong\u003e: The narrow linear leaf gives a soft, almost conifer like density that clips cleanly for informal hedging.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInformal Native Hedge\u003c\/strong\u003e: Planted in a row it makes a soft screen to around 2m that responds well to a light annual trim.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFeature Shrub\u003c\/strong\u003e: Grown as a single plant and lifted at the base over time it develops into a small multi stemmed tree form.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDrainage Lines and Swales\u003c\/strong\u003e: It is a sound choice for the wet corner of a block or the edge of a detention basin.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCommercial and Streetscape Beds\u003c\/strong\u003e: The colour flush and low maintenance suit car park islands and civic planting where irrigation is limited.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 to 1.2m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 2.5m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Autumn or spring; autumn planting is preferable in hot inland districts\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Very adaptable across clay, loam and sand; tolerates seasonal waterlogging and moderate coastal salt exposure\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, then reduce sharply as it becomes drought hardy quickly. Mulch to the drip line with coarse organic mulch, use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring, and tip prune after flowering to keep the habit dense and encourage a stronger claret flush.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 3m, occasionally reaching 4m on deep moist soil\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 to 2.5m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fast\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evergreen\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun for best colour and flowering; tolerates light shade with a looser habit\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cultivar of a species from coastal and near coastal Queensland and New South Wales\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e White, in a heavy flush through late spring and early summer\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":59795263324446,"sku":"ND-1198-400MM","price":800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45L","offer_id":59795263357214,"sku":"ND-1198-45L","price":800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/bw8KiMit00sdzjLZg0ptN_ql5JHLHD.jpg?v=1787311259","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/melaleuca-linariifolia-claret-tops","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}