If you need a source of fuel, enjoy smoked food or love honey then these plants are for you. As an householder your views would be moderated by the fire risk they pose. As an environmentalist with a longer term view you could consider them as nurse plants with the important role of delivering native bush from the farm land of the past.
Manuka Kanuka
Superficially the two species are quite similar. They both belong to the Myrtle family as does our pohutakawa. Their differences are sufficient to put them into different genera.
MANUKA is Leptospermum scoparium and KANUKA is Kunzea ericoides.
Kanuka Manuka
They are both flowering at the moment which helps to tell them apart. Manuka has bigger flowers but short stamens. In Kanuka the stamens extend out beyond the petals. Manuka also retains the last years seed pods. They are quite large and woody, though in Kanuka they are small, softish and less persistent.
There is also a size differential. Anything over 5m. is probably a Kanuka. In the absence of flowers the touch test works well. If you grasp a branch and it is a bit prickly it will be a Manuka as Kanuka is quite soft to the touch.
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