PlantFiles: Dwarf Bottlebrush
Callistemon viminalis 'Little John'

I have a question not a comment but couldn't find where to post so please forgive me-
I was wondering if dwarf bottle brush is deer resistant?
Thanks

You have to love some of the boneheaded comments / "reviews" of this plant...
"AverageGardener from Georgetown, TX wrote:
We are 40 miles north of Austin, TX..." Uh, I think that could be your problem, buddy. Way to live up to your username. And then he goes on to give it a negative rating even though he is trying to grow it almost two zones out of its comfort zone. I really wish there was a way to vote up or down on reviews, or to have certain dumb ones deleted, because this plant's overall rating should not be dragged down by armchair gardeners.

Okay, now I guess I have to put in my own two cents on this plant: An adorable little border filler that almost resembles a succulent due to its small, bluish ovate leaves. Grow it IN ITS DESIRED ZONE/CLIMATE and you'll be just pleased as punch with it, and so will your local bee & hummingbird populations. Mine did fine in a black plastic pot in 90-100º temperatures for 4 months before I finally planted it in Aug. 2011. Not the least bit of leaf browning or wilting under all that heat stress.

I've tried this growing this bottlebrush for several years with no sucess. In my zone 8a backyard, it dies all the way to base, even with protection. It may be viable in a desert zone 8, but not in the interior SE.

I bought this plant last spring. It had beautiful blue-green foliage. This winter I left it in the ground and infrequently covered it. All of its leaves turned brown. It got down to twelve degrees this winter but it is surprisingly coming back now, from the bottom of the stem.

I'm still waiting to see if my plant is going to come back. We did have one of the coldest, snowiest winters on record in this area also. No signs of life yet. I hope it comes back. UPDATE: I HAVE TRIED THIS PLANT TWICE, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO LIKE OUR CLIMATE.

We are 40 miles north of Austin, TX, and had a very cold winter. Night temperatures were in the teens for a number of days. Our dwarf bottlebrushes turned brown. The stems break with no green showing. Advice ranges from they are dead to cut them back to the main branches. Does anyone know if they will come back?

I bought a "callisternon citrinus" little john bottlebrush plant recently. It's planted in a large pot. How much subdued outdoor light will the plant tolerate? Reply please.

This plant is indeed more cold tolerant than zone 9. It has survived temperatures into the mid to low teens for several nights in a row here in the high desert of Southern California. The plant did loose it's leaves but came back in the spring looking better than ever.

Although the plant tags and websites state that this plant is not hardy in Zone 8b, I have observed several of them growing in my area which is the colder portion of 8b for the past 3 years or more. Also, my neighbor across the street bought 3 last year after I had shown him the other plants. We have experienced temperatures in the middle 20s (nights and early mornings) each winter as well as an ice storm. The plants have not suffered any damage; however in the past, we have had colder winters. I had been hesitant to purchase any because they are expensive and I did not want to waste my money if they can't handle the cold weather here. I examined the plants I have been watching and they are fine. So, today I bought 3 one gallon-size plants. I sure hope that I did not make a mistake. 'Little John' is a beautiful plant even when not in bloom.

This shrub is also attractive to hummingbirds. It is a native of Australia. It prefers warm and humid environments. Prune in autumn after flowering. The pollen of this shrub can pose allergen problems for folks who are sensitive.

Great small shrub excellent for landscaping (and pretty commonly used in southern California)- has flowers much of the warmer parts of the year- seems to have a flowering burst in the spring, and then later summer. Profuse flowers of dark red. and densely foliated.