Growing a Bottlebrush Plant (Callistemon)

Did you know..... Callistemon are commonly known as Bottlebrushes because of their cylindrical, brush like flowers which resemble traditional bottle brushes.

Step by step guide to growing your own Bottle Brush

Prepare your site

Callistemon (Bottlebrush) prefer to be grown in full sun, in a well drained/light soil. Bottlebrush plants grow well beside a sheltered sunny wall.

When to prune a Bottle Brush Plant (Callistemon)

You can encourage bushy growth on a bottle brush plant by tip-pruning, after flowering in the summer. Most established plants do not need routine pruning, but If you find that the plant has outgrown it's position in the garden, or it has become neglected, then it can be reduced in size by pruning, which is done in stages over the summer months. After flowering, simply cut back the older wood to leave younger, outward facing shoots. Not only will this give your bottle brush bush a good shape, but it also encourages the growth of new shoots from the base.

Routine care of the Bottle Brush Plant (Callistemon)

Callistemons can be proporgated either by taking a cutting or from one of the seeds that it produces.

The bottlebrush shrub usually flowers from the start of early spring through to early summer, depending on where they are grown. Each bottle brush shaped flower head produces a profusion of seed capsules, which remain close to the stem until they are stimulated to open, usually when the plant either dies, or when the heat from a bush fire causes them to open (as in Australia). A few species of bottlebrush do release their seeds annually.

Callistemon plants are relatively slow growing, but they can reach up to 50ft (15m) in height, while others are ground-hugging plants which grow no taller than 2ft.

Recommended varieties of Bottle Brush Plant (Callistemon)

Callistemon citrinus : This species of bottle brush offers bright crimson flowers from June through to July, at the end of willowy branches.

Callistemon salignus: Also known as the Willow bottle brush, this species can grow upto 5ft tall, with a spread of 6ft. Offers delicate lemon coloured flowers.

Callistemon pallidus: This bottle brush bush is better known as the Lemon Bottlebrush shrub, and as the name suggests, it has creamy/lemon coloured flowers which look wonderful when in full bloom during the spring and summer.