Captain Cook Bottlebrush

Captain Cook Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis 'Captain Cook') is the dwarf, weeping form of the plant most Australians picture when they hear bottlebrush. It settles at about 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide, so it fits under a window or along a path where the full sized species would swamp the space. Bright red brushes cover it in spring and again in autumn, and honeyeaters find it within days of the first flower opening.

Why you'll love it

• It stays small without pruning. At roughly 1.8m by 1.5m it is a shrub, not a tree, so it works under eaves and windows where taller callistemons cannot.
• Two flowering flushes a year. A heavy show of red brushes in spring, then a lighter flush in autumn, on soft weeping growth that moves in the wind.
• It brings birds in. Nectar rich flowers pull honeyeaters, lorikeets and wattlebirds into the garden, which is why most people plant it.
• It handles wet and dry. Unusually for a tough native, it tolerates both drought and periodically waterlogged ground.

Where it works best

Informal hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a soft flowering hedge around 1.5m high. It does not take hard shearing, so trim after flowering and let it keep its weeping outline.

Mass planting. On a verge or a large native bed, set plants 1m apart in a staggered grid. Massed, the flowering reads from the street rather than needing to be looked at up close.

Coastal gardens and damp spots. Salt tolerance paired with wet feet tolerance is rare, which suits a beachside garden or a low corner that stays soggy after rain.

Growing Captain Cook Bottlebrush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering and densest shape. Part shade is tolerated but the plant opens up and flowers less. It suits climates from the tropics through to cool temperate and arid inland gardens, and established plants take frost.

Soil. Not fussy. It grows in clay, sand and poor ground, and unlike most natives it copes with soil that stays wet for a spell. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. Use a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring and after the autumn flush, since standard garden fertilisers can scorch the roots.

Pruning. Tip prune straight after each flowering flush, taking off the spent brushes and about a third of the new growth. It reshoots from old wood, so an overgrown plant can be cut back hard in early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in four sizes: tube, 140mm in packs of ten, 200mm in packs of six, and 300mm. The multi packs are the value option for a hedge run or a mass planting, arriving as young single stemmed plants that bush out quickly once tip pruned. A 300mm plant is already branched and often carrying buds.

Callistemons travel well and establish fast. Expect a quiet fortnight, then new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather, and full size within two to three years. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• All about callistemon, the bottlebrush
• Compare the full callistemon range
• More bird attracting plants
• Browse native shrubs by size and use

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. At that spacing the plants meet in the second season and you keep the soft weeping shape rather than ending up with a clipped block.

How big does it actually get?

About 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide, roughly a third the size of a standard weeping bottlebrush. Light pruning after each flush holds it at 1.2m to 1.5m without any struggle.

Why has mine stopped flowering as well?

Usually too much shade or no pruning. Flowers form on new growth, so a plant that is never trimmed builds up old wood and flowers less. Cut back after each flush and it recovers within a season.