I can tell you that the dead brown leaves under the tree today are also heavily loaded with the precious Lemon Myrtle oil and the scent is indeed calming and fresh.

Gardens Online.com.au  has a splendid photo gallery of the remarkable tree.

Recording Tradition

Who is Joseph H Maiden? He was Director of the Sydney Botanical Gardens during the late 1800’s, where he curated the collection and planting of thousands of botanical species.

He observed the Australian aboriginals using these various plant species in their traditional cooking and medicinal applications.

He noted Lemon Myrtle was a useful ingredient.

The leaf was used for food flavoring and as an insect repellent when the volatile leaves were burned on the campfire. A natural antiseptic paste was made with Lemon Myrtle leaves to help heal aboriginal wounds.

Joseph Maiden’s observations led to the inclusion of Lemon Myrtle in his book “Useful Native Plants of Australia”, where he also recorded the extremely high citral purity of the oil.

Lemon Myrtle Essential Oil

The essential oil distilled from Lemon Myrtle is a potent antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic and  antiviral agent.

Natural Pain Relief and Sedative for Aboriginals.

While Aboriginal uses of Lemon Myrtle as a topical application are well reported, there is little documented evidence of a tea or infusions with Lemon Myrtle for internal medicinal use. It is believed that Aboriginals used Lemon Myrtle Tea as a natural sedative for thousands of years. Traditionally, Aboriginal information was not written in books. It was stored in the cultural stories and songs of each clan and shared as part of everyday life.

I recently met a woman from the Worrimi who regularly uses the leaves from the Lemon Myrtle trees growing in the forests to make a calming tea, and mixes with Aniseed Myrtle Leaves for an extra sedation effect when someone is injured or stressed. We tried the Lemon Myrtle and Aniseed tea at lunch time and felt so relaxed we had an afternoon nap.

The Scientific Story of Lemon Myrtle Leaf.

With no available indigenous stories of Lemon Myrtle tea, I turned to modern medical science to see how the Lemon Myrtle compounds might contribute to the reported benefits of sedation and pain relief in Lemon Myrtle Tea.

The New ‘Super Tea’

In recent years the dry leaf Lemon Myrtle tea has been shown to produce a variety of health benefits to rival any well known ‘superfood’. Leaf analysis shows Australian Lemon Myrtle contains the highest quality essential oil and many other important and beneficial compounds.

Lemon Myrtle leaf has high concentrations of                        Calcium and Magnesium, Zinc, vitamins A & E plus antioxidants.

Calcium helps muscles contract and Magnesium helps them relax. In balance they act smooth and rhythmically like a healthy heart beat.

Magnesium is found in every part of the body and is credited with being the possible answer to almost every ailment.

Calcium and Magnesium in Lemon Myrtle Tea Leaf help to calm, relax and gently sedate.

Pharmacist, Scott Gravura writes for  Science Based Medicine.org.

In  “Magnesium, the Cure To All Diseases?” he lists many conditions assisted by Magnesium.

“muscle pain, anxiety, insomnia, toothache, childbirth, pre eclampsia, bursitis, cancer, depression, blood pressure and blood sugar control, back pain,  osteoarthritis, asthma.”

Gravura questions the prevalence of vitamin supplements in modern health treatments and graciously looks back to the wisdom of tradition for a safer solution in managing disease in his conclusion;

”There is another approach that has an attractive risk/benefit perspective; Boosting Magnesium intake through diet.”

Lemon Myrtle Tea has antibacterial properties to sooth a sore throat and clear a congested chest. It may be the high calcium and magnesium content naturally found in lemon myrtle which relieves pain and calms nerves.

How to make Lemon Myrtle Tea

Hot;  Add a teaspoon of fresh cut Lemon Myrtle Tea to your favorite black or green tea and steep in a pot of boiling water. Allow to draw. Serve hot with honey.

Cold;  Brew the leaf in a pot for a few minutes, add honey to taste, allow to cool, strain off liquid and refrigerate. Serve over ice with chopped mint leaf.

Freshly harvested lemon myrtle leaf tea comes in a sealed bag... 50 grams or 100 grams. Count on 50 grams = 50 cups of zesty, relaxing tea.

Lemon Myrtle Tea leaf can be ground to use as spice and flavoring in ice cream, biscuits, confectionery, cheese, vegetable oils and sauces, mayo, tangy dukkah and vinaigrettes and so much more.

3 Easy Ways to Buy Lemon Myrtle Tea

Visit our online store Lemon Myrtle Fragrances.com

Find a Lemon Myrtle Stockist near you.

Come see, touch and smell the beautiful range of Lemon Myrtle Products at your local markets. Click here for the Lemon Myrtle Fragrances local market calendar.

We welcome your feedback and questions about Lemon Myrtle chemical free products.

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Stay well, from the Lemon Myrtle Fragrances Team.