{"product_id":"better-john-bottlebrush-callistemon-viminalis","title":"Better John™ Bottlebrush - Callistemon viminalis 'LJ1' PBR","description":"\u003cp\u003eBetter John Bottlebrush (\u003cem\u003eCallistemon viminalis\u003c\/em\u003e '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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy you'll love it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEasier than Little John.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBlue green foliage with silver tips.\u003c\/strong\u003e The new growth is covered in fine soft hairs that read silver, so the plant has colour even when it is not in flower.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStays compact.\u003c\/strong\u003e It holds a low rounded shape without constant trimming, which makes it a plant for the front of a bed rather than the back.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRed flowers for the birds.\u003c\/strong\u003e Honeyeaters and bees work the spring brushes, and callistemon is not toxic to cats or dogs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDrought and cold tolerant.\u003c\/strong\u003e Once established it handles dry summers and cold winters in every state and territory.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere it works best\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecimen and contrast planting.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLow hedging.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMass planting.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePots and small gardens.\u003c\/strong\u003e The compact size suits a large pot or a courtyard bed where a full sized bottlebrush would never fit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Better John Bottlebrush in Australia\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePosition and climate.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater and feed.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePruning.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat to expect when it arrives\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlant care guides and related reading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/blog\/callistemon-care-guide\"\u003eOur callistemon care guide\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/callistemons\"\u003eBrowse the full callistemon range\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/ozbreed\"\u003eSee the full Ozbreed range\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hedging-screening\"\u003eMore hedging and screening plants\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCommon questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow is it different from Little John?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSame compact size and red flowers, but it establishes faster, tolerates a wider range of gardens and holds better blue green and silver foliage colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow far apart should I plant it for a hedge?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlant 60cm apart in a single row for a dense low hedge. Stretch to 80cm where you want each plant to read as a mound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDoes it need pruning?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRarely. A prune every three to four years keeps a natural shape; a hedge is trimmed every two years after flowering.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Near Me","offers":[{"title":"Tube","offer_id":67785214984511,"sku":"CAL-VIM-tube","price":14.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"140mm (Pack of 10)","offer_id":67785223504191,"sku":"CAL-VIM-140MM-P10","price":193.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200mm (Pack of 6)","offer_id":67785223536959,"sku":"CAL-VIM-200MM-P6","price":217.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0691\/2917\/5359\/files\/better-john-bottlebrush-callistemon-viminalis.jpg?v=1792128444","url":"https:\/\/nurserynearme.com.au\/products\/better-john-bottlebrush-callistemon-viminalis","provider":"Nursery Near Me","version":"1.0","type":"link"}