Better John™ Bottlebrush

Better John Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis 'LJ1') is the compact bottlebrush to plant where Little John has let you down. Bred by Ozbreed from Little John, it establishes faster, grows more easily and carries better foliage colour, with blue green mature leaves and soft silvery new growth, on a shrub 60cm to 1.2m high and 60cm to 90cm wide. Small red brush flowers come through mid to late spring.

Why you'll love it

• Easier than Little John. Little John is slow and sulky in a lot of gardens. Better John was bred to fix that: quicker to establish, less fussy and better looking between flowers.
• Blue green foliage with silver tips. The new growth is covered in fine soft hairs that read silver, so the plant has colour even when it is not in flower.
• Stays compact. It holds a low rounded shape without constant trimming, which makes it a plant for the front of a bed rather than the back.
• Red flowers for the birds. Honeyeaters and bees work the spring brushes, and callistemon is not toxic to cats or dogs.
• Drought and cold tolerant. Once established it handles dry summers and cold winters in every state and territory.

Where it works best

Specimen and contrast planting. The silver blue foliage is the point. Set it against dark green shrubs or a rendered wall, or beside grassy strappy leaf plants where the colour contrast does the work.

Low hedging. Plant 60cm apart in a single row, about one and a half to two plants per metre. At that spacing it closes into a dense hedge of 60cm to 1m within two seasons and needs a trim every two years.

Mass planting. At 60cm spacing in offset rows, three to five plants to the square metre, it covers a bank or a verge in soft blue green.

Pots and small gardens. The compact size suits a large pot or a courtyard bed where a full sized bottlebrush would never fit.

Growing Better John Bottlebrush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with full sun giving the densest growth and the most flower. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and is listed for every state and territory.

Soil. Sandy to well drained soils suit it best. It will grow on heavier ground if drainage is reasonable, so on clay plant on a slight mound.

Water and feed. Water as required for the first 8 to 13 weeks, then let it go in all but long dry spells. Mulch with a chunky mulch. A slow release fertiliser in spring is optional; a low phosphorus native formulation is the safe choice.

Pruning. If it ever needs it, prune every three to four years for a natural shape, or every two years for a tidy hedge, straight after the spring flowers. Light tip pruning after flowering thickens the plant.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Better John Bottlebrush as tube stock, in 140mm pots in packs of 10 and in 200mm pots in packs of 6. Tubes are the value choice for a long low hedge and catch up quickly, since this variety was bred to establish fast. The 200mm plants already show the rounded shape and silver tipped foliage and give a hedge line in the first year.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Our callistemon care guide
• Browse the full callistemon range
• See the full Ozbreed range
• More hedging and screening plants

Common questions

How is it different from Little John?

Same compact size and red flowers, but it establishes faster, tolerates a wider range of gardens and holds better blue green and silver foliage colour.

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Plant 60cm apart in a single row for a dense low hedge. Stretch to 80cm where you want each plant to read as a mound.

Does it need pruning?

Rarely. A prune every three to four years keeps a natural shape; a hedge is trimmed every two years after flowering.