Burgundy Bottlebrush

Burgundy Bottlebrush (Callistemon 'Burgundy') carries deep wine red brushes in spring and again in autumn, a darker and richer colour than the usual crimson bottlebrush. It grows to about 3m tall and 2.5m wide, dense enough to screen a fence and fast enough to do it in a few seasons. Honeyeaters arrive the week it opens.

Why you'll love it

• Wine red, not fire engine red. The brushes are a deep burgundy that sits well against grey foliage and modern rendered walls, where bright red can jar.
• Two flowering seasons. A heavy spring flush and a second show in autumn, so the plant earns its space twice a year.
• Fast to a working screen. Vigorous growth means a row planted from 140mm stock reads as a hedge inside two to three seasons.
• Handles wet and dry. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established, salt tolerant on the coast, and tolerant of soil that sits wet through winter.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense screen. That spacing lets each plant reach its full 2.5m width and knit with its neighbours without crowding the base into bare wood.

Mass planting. On a bank or a wide verge, groups of five or more at 1.5m centres give a solid block of foliage and a serious nectar source for local birds.

Feature planting. Grown as a single specimen it takes an arching form and can be lifted to a small multi trunked tree by removing the lowest branches.

Growing Burgundy Bottlebrush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and the densest growth. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy once established, so southern and tableland gardens are well within range.

Soil. Undemanding. Clay, sand and heavy ground that holds winter water are all acceptable, which is rare in a shrub this drought tolerant. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then only through extended dry spells. Feed a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring; standard garden fertilisers can damage the roots.

Pruning. Trim immediately after each flush, cutting back into the spent brushes to encourage branching. It shoots readily from old wood, so a neglected plant can be cut back hard in spring and will refurnish.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in two sizes, both in packs: 140mm in packs of ten and 200mm in packs of six. The 140mm plants are young and single stemmed, and they are the value choice for a long boundary because small plants root out quickly. The 200mm plants are a season further along and already branching, so a short screen closes sooner.

Plants are packed upright to travel and a little leaf drop on arrival is normal. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95,. Expect a quiet few weeks after planting, then new growth within six weeks in warm weather, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to grow and prune callistemon
• Browse every bottlebrush variety we grow
• Australian natives with red flowers
• Compare bird attracting plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

1.5m apart in a single row. Tighter spacing does not close the screen any faster and leaves the lower branches shaded and thin.

Can I keep it lower than 3m?

Yes. Two trims a year, taken straight after flowering, will hold it comfortably at 1.5m to 2m without losing the flower display.

How fast does it grow?

Roughly 40 to 60cm a year once the roots are away, quicker in warm humid gardens and slower through a cool temperate winter.

Does it need much water?

Only while establishing. After two seasons it is drought tolerant, and it will also sit happily in ground that stays damp through winter.