Everywhere Bottlebrushes are flowering magnificently this year. The tall growing ones are so smothered with their glowing red brush flowers that barely a leaf can be seen. It must be heaven for nectar feeding birds who gorge themselves on the flowers. Although Bottlebrushes have their main flowering period through spring they continue to flower through summer and autumn. Mature specimens are rarely without flowers so is an ideal shrub or small tree to have in the garden if you want to attract nectar feeding birds, bees and bumble bees.
Bottlebrushes or Callistemons are natives of Australia where they are commonly found growing in high rainfall areas or besides streams and swamps. They tolerate high water tables and relish the same growing conditions as out native Kowhais. Once established they will also tolerate considerable dryness and also coastal winds.
The flowers of Bottlebrushes are really hundreds of stamens massed together to resemble a bottle brush. Our Pohutukawas are also in the same Myrtle family as their flowers are stamens as well.
Bottlebrushes are quick growers and begin to flower in their first season. To keep them bushy prune straight after the main flush of flowering in early summer. This will mean sacrificing further flowers but is worth it to keep the shrubs shapely. Many of the taller growers can be left to grow naturally. Then they will open up to form graceful semi weeping specimens. I recently saw a mature specimen of Callistemon Little John ( which the books tell us is a dwarf compact growing Bottlebrush) which had become a miniature weeping tree of 2ms tall and about the same in width. It was stunning as it had several bare trunks with the foliage and flowers weeping as a canopy. The owners told me that Tuis were forever darting in and out of this bush as it was always in flower. The same variety would make an excellent small hedge as shown in the photograph. I spied this excellent hedge outside a Motel south of Levin. An annual prune would keep this compact and small.
Bottlebrushes are a variable family, available as ground covers, dwarf shrubs, large bushes and weeping trees. Most flowers are red but varying shades of pink and violet are also available.
Listed are a few of the varieties to whet your appetites
Callistemon Candy pink
Pink flowers mature to reddish pink. An upright grower with pink new leaves. Grows 3ms
Callistemon citrinus Firebrand
A spreading shrub with arching weeping branches .Spread over 3ms but only grows 75cms.Bright red flowers.
Callistemon citrinus splendons
This is the larger Bottlebrush that I have seen so well covered in flowers recently. A dense grower would make a great hardy hedge. 3ms
Callistemon Kings Park special.
A taller semi weeping small tree .Large red flowers. 3ms
Callistemon Little John
A dwarf compact grower. Dark red flowers. Excellent container plant. 1m.
Callistemon viminalis Hannah Ray
A small willowy tree with weeping branches. Long crimson red flowers weep from the tips of the branches. Bright pink new leaves and grey green leaves.4ms
Callistemon Western Glory
Large flowers of reddish mauve, very spectacular flowers .A compact upright grower. 2.5ms
Callistemon Rocky rambler
A flat growing ground cover. Small leaves and red flowers.
