Most species are endemic to Australia, with the greatest diversity in the south of the continent, but some are native to other parts of the world, including New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

Leptospermums grow in a wide range of habitats but are most commonly found in moist, low-nutrient soils.

Plants in the genus Leptospermum range in size from prostrate shrubs to small trees, and have fibrous, flaky or papery bark.

The fruit is a woody capsule which opens at the top to release the seeds, although in some species this does not occur until the plant, or the part of it, dies.

[4][9] In 1979, Barbara Briggs and Laurie Johnson published a classification of the family Myrtaceae in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.

[4][11][16][17] In Australia, Leptospermum species are sometimes used as food plants by the larvae of hepialid moths of the genus Aenetus, including A. lewinii and A. ligniveren.

The hardiest species (L. lanigerum, L. liversidgei, L. polygalifolium, L. rupestre, L. scoparium) are hardy to about −8 °C (18 °F) to −10 °C (14 °F); others are sensitive to frost.

They are often found as hedge plants on the west coast of the United States, and some species are popular for cultivation as bonsai.

[18] Honey produced from Australian Leptospermum polygalifolium is also known as jelly bush or the lemon-scented tea tree.