Rosalina (Lavender Tea Tree)

Melaleuca ericifolia belongs to the same paperbark family that Aboriginal Australians relied on for generations, peeling the soft, layered bark from related melaleucas to line shelters, wrap food for cooking, and pad bedding. This particular species, growing thick along the swampy lowlands of Victoria and Tasmania, was distilled into essential oil much more recently, in the 1990s, when Australian growers noticed its foliage produced an oil far gentler and sweeter than its famous cousin, tea tree. It was given the name Rosalina for its soft, almost floral character, and it quickly found a place in aromatherapy as the tea tree family's tender-hearted relative, one considered mild enough for children and delicate skin. It has traditionally been used to ease stuffy, congested breathing and to calm the mind before sleep.