‘Wilderness White’
Callistemons (or bottlebrush) are some of the most beautiful and versatile native plants in Australian home gardens. This group of floriferous trees and shrubs are unrivalled in their ability to bring colour and attract native birds to the garden. An icon of the Australian garden, all species of Callistemons are true show stoppers when in bloom and if you happen to stand in a close proximity to one, no doubt it will be simply buzzing with the activity of bees!
Planting Callistemons
‘Hot Pink’
‘Tangerine Dream’
Depending on the cultivar and your location, Callistemons can be in flower from mid-winter right through until midsummer. They range in size from tall shrubs to ground covers. They make attractive screening plants in their own right and some even as feature trees. Callistemons tolerate a range of soils from moist clay to sand and can be an excellent option where the soil is too clayey for other natives like grevilleas, banksias or waratahs. Callistemons are highly adaptable to drought conditions once fully established. For best flowering results, plant in full sun, however they can also perform well in part shade. They enjoy any climate from cool temperate to tropical, as well as second line coastal conditions and medium level frosts. They are extremely hardy and given the right growing conditions can delight you with flowers for up to 40 years. When digging a hole for planting, mix in some Searles Native Plants Specialty Mix. Honey bees in particular enjoy continuously foraging in amongst the fine bristles of the flowers and can often be witnessed doing so from first light until late dusk. Having one of the larger specimens such as ‘Dawson River Weeper’ grown as a central feature to the garden will encourage bees to forage through many other species of flowering or fruit trees around your garden.
page 10 | About the garden magazine
