Tea Bush | Florida Native | Melochia Tormentosa | Live Plant Everglades Farm

Tea Bush | Florida Native | Melochia Tormentosa | Live Plant

Customers love tree condition, packaging, and healthy arrival.

  • Healthy tree ready for planting or container growing
  • Multiple size options to match your preference
  • Money-back coverage and secure packaging
$19.95 USD
$29.95 USD $19.95 USD
$19.95 item
Save $10.00
Size (Measurement Includes Container)
Pick the size that fits your goal
Smaller Sizes (1 gal)

Starting size and the lowest upfront commitment. ~6 months old tree.

Medium Sizes (3 gal)

Medium option with a strong balance of size and value. ~1 year old tree.

Larger Sizes (7+ gal)

Largest available size for shipping and the most immediate visual impact. ~2year old tree.

Largest Size (15 gal)

Usually starting to produce fruit. ~3 year old tree. Available for pickup only.

58 in stock

Expert packing and support
Arrive-alive guarantee
Money-back coverage
Biggest Trees Online
Florida-grown tropical fruit trees
50+ years combined growing experience
Grafted varieties for earlier fruit
Homestead, FL nursery
What arrives at your door
  • A live tree in the size you selected
  • Nursery container with fertilizer-enriched growing media
  • Protective packaging designed to keep the root ball stable in transit
  • After-delivery support if you have questions once it arrives
Care snapshot
  • Growth: Fast
  • Light: Full sun to partial shade
  • Mature height: 4-12 ft
  • Mature width: 2-6 ft
  • Lifespan: Perennial shrub
Full product details
Bring authentic Florida beauty to your garden with this native Tea Bush. Melochia tormentosa thrives in Florida's climate, requiring minimal care once established. This hardy shrub produces delicate flowers and adapts beautifully to local soil and weather conditions. Perfect for native plant enthusiasts, pollinator gardens, and homeowners seeking low-maintenance landscaping that supports local ecosystems. A living piece of Florida's natural heritage for your outdoor space.
Local pickup information
Shipping Arrive alive & money-back details Return & support policy
Key Features

Native Florida shrub; profuse pink-to-lavender blooms April through October (often year-round in South Florida); exceptional pollinator magnet; drought-tolerant once established; deer-resistant; thrives in poor, sandy, or rocky soils; evergreen in frost-free zones.

Special considerations

Teabush is a keystone pollinator plant for South Florida gardens, attracting native bees, honey bees, butterflies (including hairstreaks, skippers, crescents, and blues), and hummingbirds. It is heterostylous, meaning individual plants produce either male-dominant or female-dominant flowers — planting multiples improves pollinator habitat value. Check local guidelines, as the species can naturalize readily in warm climates.

Growing and Care Instructions

Teabush is a fast-growing, low-maintenance native shrub that thrives in well-drained, sandy or loamy soils — including rocky limestone soils common in South Florida. Prune in spring or after flowering cycles to maintain a compact shape and encourage dense, bushy growth. Pinching new growth tips promotes additional branching. Minimal pest and disease pressure makes this an ideal plant for low-input landscapes.

  • Fertilizing

    Light

  • Watering

    Low

  • Light Requirements

    Full sun to partial shade

Type Flowering shrub
Lifespan Perennial shrub
Growth Fast
Max Height 4-12 ft
Max Width 2-6 ft
USDA Growing Zone 9-11 map showing suitable planting regions

8A-11
(15°F)

★★★★★
11/07/2025
Mark R. Verified

Healthy, full, and worth recommending

I have filled my greenhouse with many kinds of tropical fruit trees over the years.

The trees I received from Everglades Farm were the healthiest, fullest, and best packed I have seen. They arrived with beautiful green leaves, strong branching, and much better packaging than other vendors I have tried.

I highly recommend Everglades Farm and was very impressed with the nursery.

Thank you so much!

Mark R.