The leaves, twigs, and seeds of melaleuca produce cajeput oil that has been used as an antiseptic and analgesic. Melaleuca is a good source of nectar for honey, package bees, and wax. The spread of melaleuca has caused considerable alarm about possible irreversible changes that may be occurring in the ecosystem of south Florida. Originally planted as an ornamental, it has spread across hundreds of square kilometers and has become a formidable competitor for water and mineral resources. If cleared lands receive no on-going mechanical treatment, melaleuca will invade and rapidly colonize the disturbed soil.
Most herbicides show limited effectiveness against melaleuca.
Most provide only short-term results, and melaleuca trees quickly refoliate after treatment. Workers in Australia have identified more than 50 species of insects that utilize melaleuca as a food source. Long-term control of melaeuca would best be achieved with the introduction of effective biological control agents.