Bottlebrush

Tue, 08/25/2009 - 9:42am — Kathy Ormiston

Photo Credit:

Marianne Mueller, PADG

Botanical Name:

Callistemon 'Canes Hybrid'

Pronunciation:

(kal-is-TEM-on)

Common Name:

Bottlebrush

Plant Type:

Shrub

Mature Size:

8 ft. to 10 ft. wide and tall

Water Requirements:

Low: water every 3 weeks until the root ball is wet

Sun/Shade Requirements:

Full to half sun

Flower Color :

Soft pink

Wildlife:

Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds

Callistemon 'Canes Hybrid' is a beautiful shrub that adds height and structure to the perennial garden. We especially like its soft pink flowers that bloom repeatedly throughout the summer. The cultivar 'Canes Hybrid' is smaller and has softer, greyer foliage than the more common red Callistemon citrinus.

Callistemon are very adaptable plants for our area and the hummingbirds love them. There are many cultivars of Callistemon ranging from tree-size to shrub-size to ground cover height. We haven't prune the Callistemon in our garden yet because we want it to be tall. When it gets to the size we are looking for we will use pruning to shape it and keep it shrub-sized.

The Callistemon in our photo is next to Miscanthus sinensis 'Yaku Jima' -- an excellent plant combination.