The Herbarium
Part XII · Lookalikes
Field pair
Tea-tree for tea
Tea tree and Tea — take this sheet to the bed, not a guess to the kettle.
Easy to confuseTea kettle
Tea-tree for tea
Melaleuca oil is not Camellia sinensis. A drop of tea-tree in a cup is a mucosa problem, not a breakfast.
The tea plant is an evergreen camellia with serrate leaves you wither and roll. Tea-tree is a paperbark myrtle. Never drink essential oil because the English names share a word.
The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.