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Bottlebrushes
Callistemons (or bottlebrush) are some of the most beautiful and versatile native plants in Australian home gardens. This group of fl oriferous 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
Depending on the cultivar and your location, Callistemons can be in fl ower 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 fl owering 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 fl owers 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 fi ne bristles of the fl owers and can often be witnessed doing so from fi rst 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 fl owering or fruit trees around your garden.
To encourage fl owering, use only a low phosphorus fertiliser that is specifi cally designed for Australian natives such as Searles Native Plant Food. Callistemons do not require a lot of fertiliser. Apply an application in spring and another in autumn.
Pruning Callistemons
Keep callistemons well pruned after spring fl owering and most will fl ower well the following autumn. Each time callistemons are pruned or the spent fl owers are trimmed off, it encourages even better fl owering next season, whether in spring or autumn. So the moral is, prune! Most callistemons will fl ower from spring to summer but with regular pruning can fl ower at any other time throughout the year.
C. Green John 1m x 60cm red C. Lavender Shower 2-3 x 2-3m hot pink C. white Anzac 1m x 3m white C. Wilderness White 2m white C. Tangerine Dream 2m Tangerine C. Slim 3m x 1.3m red, narrow spaces C. Purple Splendour 2-3 x 2m mauve/purple C. Mauve Mist 2m x 2m mauve C. pachyphyllus 1m green C. Hot Pink 2m x 2m hot pink
All colours and heights vary slightly due to soil and growing conditions.
‘Purple Splendour’ Callistemon ‘Slim’ is ideal for slim line hedging.
Callistemon ‘Slim’ & ‘Green John’ provided by Ozbreed
close up of ‘Slim’
