White Anzac Bottlebrush

White Anzac Bottlebrush (Callistemon citrinus 'White Anzac') is the bottlebrush for gardeners who want the birds without the red. It stays low and spreading at about 1.2m tall and 2m wide, and it carries creamy white brushes instead of the usual scarlet, which sits far more easily with grey foliage and pale rendered walls.

Why you'll love it

• White flowers on a bottlebrush. An uncommon colour in the genus, and it suits schemes where red would fight everything around it.
• Low and wide, not tall. At roughly 1.2m by 2m it holds a border or a low hedge without ever blocking a window.
• Dry one week, wet the next. Drought tolerant and wet feet tolerant, so it copes with the ground that kills most shrubs.
• Full of birds and insects. Honeyeaters take the nectar while bees and butterflies work the brushes.

Where it works best

Low hedging and borders. Plant 1m apart for a low informal hedge. It will not clip into a hard edge like box, but a light shear after flowering keeps a soft even line.

Mass planting and groundcover. The spreading habit suits a bank or wide verge, again at 1m spacing, where it smothers weeds once the canopies meet.

Damp ground and coastal gardens. Wet feet tolerance suits a swale, a downpipe outfall or a low corner that puddles after storms, and salt tolerance means a coastal block does not trouble it.

Growing White Anzac Bottlebrush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering, though it accepts part shade with fewer brushes. Its range is genuinely wide: subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens all suit it, and it is frost hardy once established.

Soil. Almost any soil, including heavy clay that stays damp. Drainage is not the deal breaker it is with most natives. Mulch 75mm deep and keep it clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Water twice weekly through the first summer, then only through long dry spells. Feed with a low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring; it needs very little else.

Pruning. Trim straight after each flush, cutting back into the spent brushes before seed capsules set hard. That single habit is what keeps a bottlebrush dense instead of woody and open at the base.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes as tube stock, 140mm packs of ten, 200mm packs of six, and single 300mm plants. Tube stock is the sensible buy for a long border or mass planting, since it establishes quickly and the saving over fifty plants is real. A 300mm plant gives a shapely shrub straight away.

Smaller sizes may arrive with few or no flowers, which says nothing about the plant. Expect flowering in the first full season after planting. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the complete callistemon care guide
• Compare varieties in the callistemon collection
• Browse more Australian native shrubs
• See other bee and butterfly plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a low hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. At that spacing they meet within two seasons, giving a knee to hip height hedge with a soft face rather than a clipped one.

Will it really cope with a wet spot?

Yes, within reason. It tolerates ground that stays damp and floods briefly after rain, which is unusual in a drought tolerant shrub, but permanently standing water will still rot the roots.

Does it need pruning to keep flowering?

It flowers either way, but trimming right after each flush gives you more brushes and a denser bush. Left alone for years it goes woody and thin at the base.

Is it frost hardy in a cool southern garden?

Yes, once established it is frost hardy and grows well in cool temperate districts. Give first year plants a mulch blanket and some shelter through their first winter.

Western Australia: this species has escaped from gardens and naturalised in WA, where it competes with local bushland plants. We do not recommend it for gardens in the south west of WA. Please choose a local alternative.