NguyenMoc
Botanical Encyclopedia
Home/Plant species/Cajuput
Cajuput — Whole tree
Myrtaceae (myrtle family)LC · Least concern

Cajuput

Melaleuca cajuputi Powell

Also known asPaperbark treeCajuput myrtle

Cajuput (Melaleuca cajuputi) is a small to medium tree of swamps and acid-sulfate soils, known for leaves that distil into cajuput oil rich in 1,8-cineole, used for massage, colds and as an antiseptic.

No ratings yet — be the first!

0
Views
3
Languages
Oct 9, 2026
Updated
v1.0
Version
LanguagesVIENZH

Gallery

Cajuput — PlantCajuput — Plant
Cajuput — Whole treeCajuput — Whole tree
Cajuput — PlantCajuput — Plant
Cajuput — PlantCajuput — Plant
Cajuput — PlantCajuput — Plant
Cajuput — PlantCajuput — Plant
Cajuput — Whole treeCajuput — Whole tree
1 / 5

Overview

A tree 10–25 m tall with whitish-grey bark that peels in papery layers; leaves are narrow, lanceolate and stiff with prominent oil glands. Cream-white flowers form bottlebrush-like spikes at branch tips; small capsules are strung along the branches.

Cajuput tolerates acid-sulfate soil, flooding and fire, so it is planted to reclaim alum soils in the Mekong Delta and U Minh. Fresh leaves are steam-distilled for cajuput oil; the forests also yield honey, pole timber and fuelwood and help retain water and prevent fire spread.

Life cycle

From seed to product

Seed

Tiny seeds sit in woody capsules that open when ripe; seeds disperse by wind and water and germinate on moist mud.

Seedling

Light-demanding seedlings tolerate seasonal flooding and grow densely into young stands on acid-sulfate soil.

Mature tree

Trees 10–25 m with peeling bark and a narrow-leaved canopy releasing the distinctive cajuput scent.

Oil distillation

Fresh leaves are harvested and steam-distilled to obtain cajuput oil rich in 1,8-cineole.

Distribution & origin

Share of recorded occurrences by region
  • Australia (native)30%
  • Indonesia · Papua New Guinea22%
  • Mekong Delta, Vietnam25%
  • Thailand · Malaysia13%
  • Other plantings10%

Chemical composition

Relative content in agarwood resin
  • 1,8-CineoleCool, camphor-like, expectorant52%
  • α-TerpineolSoft floral11%
  • AromadendreneAntimicrobial sesquiterpene7%
  • Limonene · othersLight citrus30%

Uses

  • Cajuput oil for massage, colds and antisepsis
  • Reclaiming acid-sulfate soils and water retention in U Minh
  • Honey, pole timber and fuelwood

Properties

Scent
Cool, camphoraceous, slightly sweet
Bark
Grey-white, papery, peeling
Tolerance
Alum soil, flooding, fire

Habitat & conservation

Tropical swamps, seasonally flooded land and acid-sulfate soils; forms characteristic melaleuca forests in U Minh and the Mekong Delta.

Conservation

Not globally threatened (IUCN: Least Concern) and widely planted to green acid-sulfate land. However natural melaleuca forest has shrunk through land conversion and fire; key wetland forests need protection.

References

  1. 1Plants of the World Online — Melaleuca cajuputi — Kew Science, 2024
  2. 2IUCN Red List — Melaleuca cajuputi — IUCN, 2019
  3. 3Cajuput oil composition and uses — Journal of Essential Oil Research, 2016
  4. 4Hình ảnh minh hoạ lấy từ Wikimedia Commons, tôn trọng giấy phép ghi kèm — Wikimedia Commons,
  5. 5Nguồn ảnh: R. Purdie (CC BY 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
  6. 6Nguồn ảnh: Murray Fagg (CC BY 3.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
  7. 7Nguồn ảnh: Hayati Mayang Arum (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons,
NguyenMoc

Help build an open knowledge base

Are you a researcher, artisan or nature lover? Contribute, add or correct content so NguyenMoc keeps getting more accurate.