Bottlebrush

Callistemon spp. (Melaleuca) · Myrtaceae

Hardy native with red brush flowers.

Photo: Vasil Vyagov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sun: Full sun to half shade.
Soil: Adaptable, including salty soils; best in moist, well-drained, slightly acid soil.
Soil pH: Slightly acid.
Water: Water regularly until established, then drought-tolerant.
Hardiness: All but the coldest regions; only marginally frost-tolerant.
Height and spread: About 1-6 m depending on cultivar (e.g. C. citrinus about 3-4.5 m).

Guv's tipBottlebrush copes with salty soils. Prune lightly after flowering, and if it gets straggly, it tolerates a hard prune.

Through the year

Any time of year; autumn is generally best for natives, spring in cold, frosty areas.

Spring-early summer, often again in autumn.

Prune lightly after flowering; tolerates a hard prune when straggly.

Soft tip or half-hardened cuttings; seed from old woody capsules.

Disease

Austropuccinia psidii

Look for: Egg-yolk yellow spore masses on new growth, turning red-purple then brown; tip dieback.

What to do: Remove and bag infected growth and avoid spreading spores. Grow resistant selections; use a registered fungicide if severe.

Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.

Pets and people: Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses.

Weed risk: Not listed as a weed on Weeds Australia or NSW WeedWise.

Checked against two or more reputable gardening sources. How we check our facts

Keep it by the back door

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