Ehretia Microphylla / Buxus Wall Shaped (80x30x80.cm)

Ehretia microphylla, also known as the Fukien tea tree or Philippine tea tree, is a versatile and attractive plant with a rich botanical and cultural background. Here's a detailed overview:

🌿 Botanical Profile

• Family: Boraginaceae

• Genus: Ehretia

• Species: E. microphylla

• Synonyms: Carmona microphylla, Cordia retusa, among others

🌱 Description

• Growth Form: Shrub or small tree, typically reaching 2–5 meters in height

• Leaves: Small (1–5 cm), glossy green, ovate; ideal for bonsai due to their compact size1

• Flowers: Tiny white or pale yellow blooms, hermaphroditic, appearing in clusters during late spring to early summer

• Fruits: Small, fleshy drupes that ripen to dark purple or brownish-orange; edible and attractive to birds1

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

• Native to tropical and subtropical Asia, including India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and parts of Australia and the Pacific

• Thrives in dry, well-drained soils, often found in scrublands and rocky areas

🌸 Cultivation & Care

• Light: Prefers bright, indirect sunlight

• Soil: Well-draining loamy soil with organic matter

• Watering: Moderate; drought-tolerant once established

• Humidity: High humidity is ideal

• Fertilizer: Balanced 10-10-10 formula every 4–6 weeks during growing season

• Propagation: Via seeds or semi-hardwood cuttings

✂️ Bonsai & Ornamental Use

• Widely used in Penjing (Chinese bonsai) and ornamental gardening due to its small leaves and elegant form.

🧪 Medicinal & Ecological Value

• Traditionally used in the Philippines to treat cough, colic, diarrhea, and dysentery

• Supports pollinators and birds, contributing to local biodiversity

Plant Bio

It is also endemic in parts of Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan and Australia. The Fukien Tea is still very popular for Penjing in China and in Western countries it is a common indoor Bonsai tree.

Its small dark-green shiny leaves have tiny white dots on the upper side and are covered with hairs underneath.

Small white flowers can appear all year round and sometimes produce small yellow-red to dark berries.

The Fukien Tea is an indoor Bonsai which can only be kept outside all year in very warm climates.

It needs a lot of light . In addition to the few hours of daylight there is the problem of dry air.

You can use a plant lamp if necessary and put a large tray filled with wet gravel or foamed clay under the pot for more humidity.

Keep the tree moist, as it doesn’t like droughts. But be careful not to water too often because it doesn't like soil wetness either.

As soon as the soil surface gets dry the tree needs to be watered generously but it must not be left standing in excess water.

Liquid fertilizers can be used in carefully measured dosage and only on moist soil.

Ehretia Microphylla Buxus Wall Shaped

Plant Care;