Why haven't we used more melaleucas in our garden? Many of them are hardy and adaptable, and there are species for every situation. They come in many shapes and sizes and their flowers, which come in an array of colours, are simply spectacular.
Ivan Holliday's first book on melaleucas - or paperbarks - was published in 1989. Although it was reprinted in 1996 and he published a smaller later volume to keep readers up to date with rearrangements and name changes within this group, only now is there a book that brings everything together.
Melaleucas: A Field And Garden Guide' features, in alphabetical order, over 300 species, subspecies, varieties and forms. For identification, distinguishing features and the species' natural distribution supplement detailed descriptions in words and line drawings. For gardeners, notes on suitable conditions and cultivation are valuable.
