Bottlebrush Citrinus

Bottlebrush gets their common name because their fluffy, blooms are shaped like old-fashioned bottle brushes. Botanically called Callistemon, Bottlebrushes are hardy Australian native plants and you’ll find varieties with flowers in red, pink, white, and soft yellow. 

Bottlebrushes come in a range of sizes from low-growing shrubs to much taller varieties that can easily form hedges and screening - so there is one to suit just about any garden. These spring-to-summer flowering beauties are well suited to growing in full sun to part shade spots. However, for more flowers plant them in as much sun as possible. 

Bottlebrushes trees will grow in heavy clay soils or sandy soils and they don’t mind a light frost either. Although they’ll tolerate damp soil for a short period of time, it’s best to choose a free-draining spot or grow them in pots if needed. 

Preparation

Choose a full sun to part shade location for your bottlebrush, ideally with a free-draining soil - although check the label as some varieties are more tolerant of an occasionally damp soil.

Bottebrush will tolerate any soil type (sandy or heavy) but they do love it improved a little before planting mix. If your soil is easily waterlogged, consider growing bottlebrush in a pot instead. 

Growing bottlebrush in the garden

Plant bottlebrush into your prepared garden soil - it’s best to plant them outside of the peak heat of summer so they don’t get overly stressed. 

Dig the hole twice as wide as the original nursery pot and the same depth. Gently remove your bottlebrush from the nursery pot, tease roots if they are compact and plant into the hole. Backfill around the plant and water in well. 
 
Mulch thickly around the base of the bottlebrush to retain moisture and suppress weeds, but keep the mulch away from the main stem.

The plant we have is about 6 to 8 inches in its first year.