Maple's Garden
Bottle brush
Genus: Callistemon.
Species: Callistemon citrinus.
Lemon bottlebrush is a small tree or large shrub that gets 6-12 ft (2-4 m) tall and 6-9 ft (2-3 m) wide. The leaves are narrow, lance shaped, and leathery, with a distinctly citrus aroma (thus the common name). The bright red, plump, bottle-brush shaped flowers are composed mostly of stamens. They bloom off and on throughout hot weather. The bark is somewhat rough and light brown
Lemon bottlebrush likes well drained soil, preferably sandy loam, but is quite adaptable. Avoid heavy soils and soggy ground. Lemon bottlebrush can take some salt spray but do not it plant too close to the shore. If grown in the northern part of its range, expect winter kills. Protected with mulch around roots, the plant usually comes back. It may sucker up around the base.
Bottlebrush does best in full sun.
Lemon bottlebrush thrives in average to dry soils. It is drought tolerant once established.
Take cuttings from semi-ripe wood in summer. Bottlebrush can be grown with patience from seeds. Gather dried flowers and keep in them paper bags to let seeds fall; plant in spring, sowing on the soil surface).
