How to Grow and Care for Bottlebrushes

Crimson bottlebrush is a shrub commonly found in swamps and near rivers. The source of the common name is easily seen in its flowers' appearance. Those flowers produce sweet nectar which attracts numerous species of birds. The specific epithet, "citrinus," was given because the crimson bottlebrush's leaves give off a citrus-like scent when crushed.

Bottlebrush (*Callistemon rigidus*) is a shrub native to Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. It does well in many types of soil as long as it is damp and the shrub has access to full sunlight. The nectar from bottlebrush's bright flowers attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

Weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis) is an evergreen tree that comes from Australia. It gets its common name from its blooms, which resemble bright red bottle brushes. This species is commonly grown in gardens, and its sweet nectar attracts birds.

White bottlebrush has been a popular garden plant for many years, often being used as a hedge or wall-side border. It is also a winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. The plant gets the common name, "White Bottlebrush," from its creamy white spring and summer flowers that look like bottle brushes. The sweet-scented flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators.

This species is a small, spreading, but compact shrub with hard bark, soft foliage, and profuse spikes of bottlebrush flowers in spring and summer. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 1.5 to 2.5 cm long, 1.5 to 5 mm wide, flat, and linear to narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base. The flowers are red, tipped with yellow, and are arranged in short spikes on the ends and sides of branches, which continue to grow after flowering. The flowering occurs mainly in spring and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules 2.5 to 5 mm long.