Callistemons

How to choose a callistemon

Work down the size ladder. At the small end, Little John holds a tight 1m ball, ideal for borders, pots and low hedges. Captain Cook steps up to 1.8m with a weeping habit and red brushes in spring and again in autumn. For a narrow boundary, Callistemon Slim screens to 3m while staying only 1.3m wide without constant trimming. Kings Park Special makes the classic 4m privacy screen, and Hannah Ray at 4.5m or the 7m White Bottlebrush (Callistemon salignus) carry the family into small tree territory.

Then choose colour. Red dominates, but Candy Pink flowers pink at 2m, Mauve Mist and Purple Splendour cover the purples, and the White Anzac types flower cream. Great Balls of Fire is the outlier, grown less for its flowers than for vivid red new growth on a 2.5m shrub.

Where callistemons thrive

Almost everywhere in Australia, which is why councils plant so many. Nearly every variety here is frost hardy, comfortable from subtropical Queensland to cool temperate Victoria and the Adelaide Hills, and the whole range is coastal and salt tolerant. Most remarkably, callistemons tolerate both drought and wet feet, so the soggy corner where the downpipe discharges, fatal to most Australian native shrubs, is a bottlebrush opportunity. Give them full sun; shade costs flowers.

Planting and spacing

For hedges and screens, spacing follows size. Plant Little John 60cm apart for a dense low hedge, Captain Cook and Candy Pink 1m apart, Mauve Mist 1.2m apart and Kings Park Special 1.5m apart. Callistemon Slim goes in at 1m centres for a narrow screen, while the big weepers, Hannah Ray and Dawson River Weeper, want 2m between plants. Dig each hole twice the width of the pot and no deeper, water in well and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch clear of the trunk.

Care for heavy flowering

Tip prune just behind the spent brushes once each flush finishes; this doubles the branch tips that carry next season's flowers and keeps the shrub dense to the ground. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in spring, water deeply through the first summer, then let rainfall do most of the work. An old leggy bottlebrush responds to a harder cut in late winter. Our guide all about callistemon covers renovation pruning step by step.

Common questions

Are callistemons frost hardy?

Most are. Nearly every variety in this collection carries the frost hardy tag and handles cold winters in Canberra and Melbourne, though young plants appreciate protection through their first winter inland.

Will a bottlebrush grow in wet soil?

Yes. Callistemon viminalis grows along Queensland riverbanks, and nearly every variety here is wet feet tolerant, making bottlebrushes one of the few flowering natives for poorly drained ground.

Are bottlebrushes pet friendly?

Many carry our Pet Friendly flag, including Little John, Mauve Mist, Wildfire and Dawson River Weeper. Check the flag on each product page if animals share the garden.

How are callistemons delivered?

Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.