Red Alert™ Bottlebrush

Red Alert Bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis 'KPS38') is the native hedge to plant instead of photinia. Its new growth comes through vivid red for about two months in autumn and two months in spring, with a lighter red flush for months more, and it needs less pruning than photinia to make a hedge. Left alone it grows to about 2m to 2.4m tall and 1.5m to 2m wide; pruned, it holds anywhere from 50cm to 2m. Bred by Ozbreed, it is very drought and frost tolerant and thrives in wind.

Why you'll love it

• Red new growth, twice a year. The spring and autumn flushes give the colour people buy photinia for, on a plant that belongs here.
• Less pruning than photinia. A hedge forms with fewer cuts, and each cut you do make brings on another red flush.
• Drought, frost and wind. Very drought and frost tolerant, and it thrives in the exposed, windy sites where many hedges thin out.
• Brush flowers for birds. Red bottlebrush flowers, mainly in spring, feed honeyeaters and bees, though the foliage colour is the main event.
• Not toxic to pets. Bottlebrush is safe around dogs and cats, which matters for a hedge beside a lawn.

Where it works best

Hedging. Plant 70cm apart in a single row for a dense hedge, or up to 1m apart where you can wait an extra season (one to two plants per linear metre). Clipped at 1m to 1.5m it makes a boundary hedge; let to 2m it gives privacy.

Screening. At its unpruned 2m to 2.4m it screens a fence line with two or three light trims a year rather than the constant cutting a faster screen demands.

Specimen shrub. One plant beside a path gives a red topped dome twice a year, and it takes shaping well.

Growing Red Alert Bottlebrush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with full sun giving the strongest red. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi arid gardens in every state and the ACT. Exposed, windy sites are fine.

Soil. Most soil types, from sand to clay. It is not fussy about heavier ground.

Water and feed. Water as needed for the first 8 to 13 weeks, then only in long dry spells. Chunky mulch, and a low phosphorus slow release fertiliser in spring if growth is slow.

Pruning. Prune to shape one to three times a year, each time after a red flush has hardened to green. More trims give a tighter hedge and more red; one cut a year suits a looser screen. Unpruned, it reaches 2.4m and opens at the base.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Red Alert Bottlebrush in 140mm pots in packs of 10, in 200mm pots in packs of 6 and as single 300mm plants. The 140mm packs are the economical choice for a long hedge and catch up within two seasons; the 200mm pots give a hedge line in the first year; the 300mm plants are shaped shrubs for a specimen spot or a short run. Callistemons travel well, and the first red flush comes with the first warm weather.

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

Common questions

How far apart for a hedge?

Plant 70cm apart in a single row for a dense hedge within two seasons. At 1m the hedge takes a season longer but uses fewer plants; closer than 70cm crowds the bases.

When does the red show?

About two months in autumn and two in spring, with lighter red through much of the year. Each prune brings another flush, so a hedge trimmed three times a year is rarely without colour.

How does it compare with photinia?

Similar red new growth and hedge size, with less pruning, better drought and frost tolerance, and flowers that feed birds. It is also a native.