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PlantFiles: Bottlebrush Tree
Callistemon rigidus

 
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Family: Myrtaceae (mir-TAY-see-ay) (Info)
Genus: Callistemon (kal-lis-STEE-mon) (Info)
Species: rigidus (RIG-ih-dus) (Info)

5 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Trees

Height:
10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m)

Spacing:
6-8 ft. (1.8-2.4 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun

Danger:
N/A

Bloom Color:
Red

Bloom Time:
Late Winter/Early Spring
Mid Spring
Late Spring/Early Summer

Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Evergreen

Other details:
Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds

Soil pH requirements:
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline)
8.6 to 9.0 (strongly alkaline)
over 9.1 (very alkaline)

Propagation Methods:
From semi-hardwood cuttings
From seed; direct sow after last frost

Seed Collecting:
Unblemished fruit must be significantly overripe before harvesting seed; clean and dry seeds

By Floridian
Thumbnail #1 of Callistemon rigidus by Floridian

By Chamma
Thumbnail #2 of Callistemon rigidus by Chamma

By ebob
Thumbnail #3 of Callistemon rigidus by ebob

By ebob
Thumbnail #4 of Callistemon rigidus by ebob

By gel70
Thumbnail #5 of Callistemon rigidus by gel70

By captphill
Thumbnail #6 of Callistemon rigidus by captphill

By Karipentti
Thumbnail #7 of Callistemon rigidus by Karipentti

There are a total of 28 photos.
Click here to view them all!

Profile:

8 positives
1 neutral
No negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Positive Loneta On Apr 14, 2008, Loneta from Morriston, FL wrote:

I have one BB bush and one BB tree,the bush is doing great the tree is trying to die the trunk is in two sections. Both are in full sun and fairly dry soil. They attract Humming birds as well as Butterflies. They are very beautiful plants and normally easy to care for. I am thrilled with the bush.

Positive Opoetree On Jun 9, 2007, Opoetree from Oak View, CA wrote:

Australian plants seem to do very well in Ventura County, California. We have these bottle brush trees and shrubs, as well as eucalyptus trees of many varieties. Our bottle brush just turned up growing -- probably seeds came floating down through our barranca and the plant just sprouted on its own. Very nice, like the red blooms.

Positive ShelleyME On Jan 2, 2007, ShelleyME from League City, TX
(Zone 8b) wrote:

I had 2 of these growing on either side of the front door at our old house. They had grown as tall as the 2nd story windows. One plant grew in front of the 2nd story window where there was an alcove that had our computer desk. I could look out and see many hummingbirds feeding. Our cats loved to sit and watch the birds while perched on the windowsill.

Positive Kylie2x On Nov 25, 2006, Kylie2x from Millsap, TX wrote:

This has been a wonderful shrub.It has bloomed twice this yr and put on good growth.. I'll be keeping it inside for the winter..

Positive dstrick7 On Oct 26, 2006, dstrick7 from Winterville, GA wrote:

I wasn't too crazy about its looks at first - soft, pale green, fuzzy leaves...but they are now darker, shiny & stiff. Starting to bloom now (1 flower in bloom...6 others about to). I have 3 other varieties of Callistemon of semi-unknown origins...they have overwintered well, and make great evergreen shrubs.

Positive mariavonw On Jul 17, 2006, mariavonw from San Francisco, CA wrote:

quite common to see in San Francisco...very beautiful

Positive wallaby1 On Dec 6, 2005, wallaby1 from Lincoln
(United Kingdom)
(Zone 8a) wrote:

Bought as a small starter plant 6+ years ago, it has been in it's present postion for 5 years and has quickly grown to a quite large, weeping shrub. It is in a fairly shaded but sheltered location, and gets little sun but does very well. Soil is acidic and sandy. The last two years it has had many flowers, and attracts many bumblebees, with a white hairy body and black stripes, a type I have not seen before.

It has withstood prolonged frost and to -9C with no damage, this species has smaller narrow leaves and is hardier than the larger leaved types. zone 8a UK

Positive AustinBarbie On Jun 9, 2002, AustinBarbie from Harker Heights, TX
(Zone 8a) wrote:

My Callistemon is growing rapidly and is beautiful. To 5 meters (15 feet), it has light green foliage and bronze new growth. Red flowers in spring. Hardy, will adapt to most soils.
Good points: flowers, hardy, long-lived, good in damp soils
Downside: dislikes extreme heat and extreme cold.
Please note that this is an Australian native, and as such will probably not do at all well in areas that freeze.
This large bottlebrush is widely cultivated. Plants produce bright red flower spikes which are very rich in nectar and attract many birds. Plants grow in a variety of soils, but can be frost tender, especially when young. Weeping Bottlebrush grows 5 to 7 m tall.

Neutral Floridian On Nov 19, 2001, Floridian from Lutz, FL
(Zone 9b) wrote:

A native to Australia this is a small, upright tree or large shrub. It grows easily in tropical and semi-tropical climates. Once established this plant is drought tolerant.
The leaves are narrow, lance shaped, and leathery. Bright red, plump, bottle-brush shaped flowers are composed mostly of stamens and bloom off and on throughout hot weather.
The Bottlebrush tree likes well drained soil, preferably sandy loam, but is quite adaptable. Avoid heavy, damp ground. If grown in the northern part of range, expect winter kills. Protect with mulch around roots and the plant usually comes back.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Glendale, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Sierra Vista, Arizona
Los Angeles, California
Oak View, California
San Francisco, California
Santa Clarita, California
Sun City, California
Baker, Florida
Bartow, Florida
Debary, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Gainesville, Florida (2 reports)
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Indian Lake Estates, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Leesburg, Florida
Lutz, Florida
Melbourne Beach, Florida
Morriston, Florida
Odessa, Florida
Oldsmar, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Punta Gorda, Florida
Sarasota, Florida (2 reports)
Stuart, Florida
Summerfield, Florida
Winterville, Georgia
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Schriever, Louisiana
Scott, Louisiana
Springfield, Louisiana
Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Brookings, Oregon
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Saint Helena Island, South Carolina
Austin, Texas
Bryan, Texas
Deer Park, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Houston, Texas
Jacksonville, Texas
League City, Texas
Millsap, Texas



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