Bottlebrush
Melaleuca citrina (syn. Callistemon citrinus)
Bottlebrush is an evergreen shrub or small tree with stiff, lemon-scented leaves and bright red flower spikes shaped like bottle brushes. It flowers in spring and on and off through the year, attracting sunbirds and bees.
Photo: DirkHoffmann · CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun
Watering
Low
Water young plants regularly; established plants tolerate drought and seasonal wet soil.
Soil
Most well-drained soils; pH 5.5–7.5.
Temperature and humidity
-2–42 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Light feeding in spring; avoid high-phosphorus fertilizers.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by stem cuttings, seed
Trim just behind spent flower spikes to keep it bushy.
Bottlebrush is not toxic.
Top Cultivation Tips
Weeping bottlebrush suits avenues.
Good for screens and informal hedges.
Attracts nectar-feeding birds.
Tolerates coastal conditions.
Common problems
Scale insects
Immobile, shell-covered insects that cling to stems and leaves, draining sap and weakening trees and houseplants.
How to treat it →DiseaseSooty mould
A black, powdery fungal coating that grows on the sticky honeydew left by sap-sucking insects, blocking light from leaves.
How to treat it →
