cehwiedel: Opinion, Analysis, Humor,
Satire, Mystery,
Fantasy & Facts
Fantasy & Facts
Bottlebrush
One of my usual resources, Pat
Welsh’s Southern California
Gardening, doesn’t even list this shrubby tree, either
using its common name or its scientific name Calistemon.
Turning to the Sunset Western Garden Book, it confirms what I
already knew from childhood: hummingbirds love the bright red
flowers.
Non-native to my front yard, these
drought-resistant shrubs or trees originated in Australia but
thrive in the full hot sun of the semi-arid desert climate of
Southern California. Temperatures below 20° F. may damage
them. Depending on the variety, they can be convinced to cover
a wall, or the ground, or accept clipping to form a hedge,
screen or windbreak.
The Australian National Botanic Garden says that Calistemon is part of the myrtle (Myrtaceae) family and is
closely related to Melaleuca, which has similar bottle-brush flowers. It
cautions that alkaline soils do not agree with the plant, and a
low-phosphorous fertilizer should be applied in Spring or Fall.
Florida Gardener lists a
drawback that I knew
nothing about: its pollen is an allergen! I better not mention
this to my sneezing daughter…
Al Derrick, designated a Monterey Bay
master gardener by the University of California, exults in the carefree
nature of Calistemon, telling about one
specimen thought killed by sustained subfreezing temperatures
that came back from the roots.
Master Gardener Landscaping of Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, has photos of both Calistemon rigidus (the variety shown here) and Calistemon viminalis,
a variety with drooping branches know by the common naming of
weeping bottlebrush. This site also adds new information: Calistemon doesn’t
transplant well, so pick your planting site carefully.
