Narrow Leaf Bottlebrush Trees

Callistemon linearis: Standard Bottlebrush Trees

With showers of distinctive fluffy red flowers that bees love and looking exactly as the name Bottlebrush implies, Callistemon (also known as Melaleuca) is a tender evergreen shrub from Australia with narrow aromatic foliage that does well in the warmest parts of the UK. With an RHS Award of Garden Merit under its belt, it's a fun plant that gives a fabulous taste of Down Under.

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Features

• Evergreen. Naturally a medium-large shrub
• Informal screening
• Red, cylindrical brush-like flowers.
• Prefers neutral to mildly acidic soil
• Max. Height: 3-4m
• Rated H2 Hardiness: frost tender
• RHS Award of Garden Merit

Growing Bottlebrush Trees

To get full-flowering glory from bottlebrushes, place them where they get full sun for up to eight hours a day in a sheltered spot; they'll tolerate shade but won't bloom as well. They can grow in most well-drained soils but prefer lots of organic matter added in to help maintain soil moisture. Ideal for milder coastal gardens or in a pot on the patio, protect them if a frost is threatened. They'll not survive in colder areas, but adapt to pots quite well, so moving them into shelter overwinter is an option.

Garden Design Ideas

History & Trivia

As with all plants originating from warmer climates, pair with other similar heat lovers and you'll be on to a winner. Packing a punch with its showers of red flowers, it'll work in borders with hebes, rosemary and salvias or as a focal point in a pot on a sunny terrace.