Lavender Showers Bottlebrush

Lavender Showers Bottlebrush (Callistemon 'Lavender Showers') is an upright native shrub that reaches 2m to 3m high and 2m to 3m wide, and its flowers are hot pink, not lavender. The lavender is in the purple-grey of the fresh new growth, which turns green as the leaves age. It is a hardy, bird-attracting choice for a feature planting or an informal screen.

Why you'll love it

• Two colours in one shrub. Purple-grey new growth ages to fresh green, and hot pink brushes open over the top from late winter to early summer.
• A long flowering window. The brushes keep coming for months, so there is colour and nectar through the tail of winter, all of spring and into early summer.
• Busy with wildlife. Rosellas and honeyeaters visit the nectar-rich brushes, and bees work them too.
• Upright and tidy. A medium height, upright habit makes a clean specimen or a loose screen without sprawling across a path.
• Easy to please. It grows in most soils, takes full sun or dappled shade, and established plants tolerate frost.

Where it works best

Feature shrub. Give it a spot where the flowers can be seen from a window or path, with plain green or a pale wall behind to let the pink stand out. At 2m to 3m wide it needs room to develop its natural shape.

Informal screening and hedging. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row. The shrubs knit together into a loose flowering screen over a few seasons, and a trim after each flowering firms up the line if you want more of a hedge.

Wildlife gardens. Pair it with other nectar plants that flower at different times, so the birds and bees have a food source across the year.

Growing Lavender Showers Bottlebrush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun suits it best, though it tolerates dappled shade. Established plants tolerate frost, so it suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens. In the coldest districts, shelter young plants through their first winters.

Soil. Most soils are fine. Mulch after planting to hold moisture and keep soil temperatures even while the young plant settles in.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the first summer, then let established plants cope with normal rainfall. Feed once a year with a native fertiliser.

Pruning. Prune after flowering to encourage another flush of colour. Take off the spent brushes and tip prune lightly to keep the shrub bushy.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Lavender Showers Bottlebrush as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly, in 140mm pots in packs of 10 and in 200mm pots in packs of 6. Tubes are the value choice for a screen of several plants, while the larger pots give you a taller start. Plants travel upright and settle in within a few weeks in warm soil.

Tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available. When the grower has none, the tube shows as sold out on this page, and the notify button emails you the day it is back.

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

• Browse all bottlebrush varieties
• Bird attracting plants
• More Australian native shrubs
• All about callistemon, the bottlebrush

Common questions

Are the flowers really lavender?

No, the flowers are hot pink. The name refers to the purple-grey tint of the young foliage, which is a feature in its own right.

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

About 1.5m apart in a single row. Closer planting crowds the base of the shrubs, and wider spacing takes longer to close the gaps.

When should I prune it?

Straight after flowering, which encourages another flush of colour. Feed once a year with a native fertiliser.