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Callistemon Citrinus Splenders

Callistemon Citrinus Splenders

Bottlebrush

Was: £49.99
£34.99
You save: £15.00 (30%)
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At a Glance

Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens' (Crimson Bottlebrush)

Discover the ultimate award-winning evergreen with spectacular crimson flowers and exceptional year-round appeal bred for dramatic garden impact

 

Overview

Discover the perfect solution for gardeners seeking spectacular year-round interest with Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens', the award-winning Australian native that has revolutionised evergreen shrub gardening with its exceptional flowering display and outstanding ornamental value. This remarkable variety combines the convenience of reliable evergreen foliage with dramatic crimson bottlebrush flowers, aromatic lemon-scented leaves, and adaptable growing requirements, making it the ideal choice for gardeners wanting premium ornamental impact with relatively low maintenance. Named 'Splendens' for its truly splendid flowering performance and holder of the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit, this crimson bottlebrush delivers maximum visual impact with outstanding reliability, offering the perfect balance of exotic appeal, seasonal interest, and garden versatility that makes every landscape more dramatic and beautiful.

 

Key Features

  • Plant Type: Award-winning evergreen ornamental shrub
  • Planting Season: March to October
  • Mature Height: 1.5m
  • Spread: 1.5m
  • Flowering Period: Late spring through to late summer (April to August)
  • Flower Characteristics: Brilliant crimson cylindrical bottlebrush-like spikes
  • Productive Lifespan: 10+ years with proper care
  • Hardiness: Frost-tender, requires protection in cold areas (RHS hardiness rating H3)

 

RHS Award of Garden Merit Excellence

'Splendens' holds the much coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, recognising its exceptional garden performance, reliability, and outstanding ornamental value. This award-winning variety has proven its garden worth through rigorous testing and evaluation by horticultural experts.

 

Spectacular Flowering Display

The brilliant crimson, cylindrical flower spikes resemble old-fashioned bottle-brushes and grow at the tips of branches, creating a dramatic display that rivals any exotic ornamental. Large, well-displayed brushes are produced in late spring, with further flowering sometimes occurring throughout the growing season, providing extended colour and interest.

 

Exceptional Aromatic Foliage

The dark green, lance-shaped leaves release a delightful lemony scent when bruised or touched, adding a sensory dimension to the garden experience. New foliage emerges with an attractive coppery-pink flush before maturing to deep green, providing year-round textural interest and seasonal colour variation.

 

Outstanding Evergreen Structure

As a wonderfully carefree evergreen shrub, 'Splendens' provides permanent garden structure and year-round interest. The leathery grey-green foliage maintains its attractive appearance throughout all seasons, ensuring continuous ornamental value even when not in flower.

 

Exceptional Drought Tolerance

Once established, this Australian native tolerates poor soils, heat, and mild drought conditions, making it perfect for low-maintenance gardening and challenging sites. The hardy nature reduces watering requirements whilst maintaining excellent performance.

 

Versatile Garden Applications

Functions beautifully as a dramatic accent plant, informal hedge, or screen planting. The exotic appearance and reliable performance make it ideal for Mediterranean-style gardens, coastal plantings, and contemporary landscape designs.

 

Wildlife Attraction Benefits

The nectar-rich crimson flowers attract birds, bees, and beneficial insects, creating a wildlife-friendly garden environment whilst providing spectacular ornamental display. The bottlebrush flowers are particularly attractive to hummingbirds and native bird species.

 

Ideal Growing Position

Plant in a sunny, sheltered position with protection from harsh winds and severe frost. Native to Australia, 'Splendens' thrives in warm, sheltered conditions and benefits from the protection of a south-facing wall in cooler climates.

 

Flexible Growing Options

Excellent for container cultivation, allowing gardeners in colder regions to grow this spectacular plant in large pots and provide winter protection. Container growing also enables precise soil control and mobility for optimal positioning.

 

Easy Maintenance Requirements

Very easy to look after and reliably produces stunning flowers with minimal intervention. An annual prune after flowering helps maintain shape and encourage bushier growth, whilst the evergreen nature requires little seasonal care.

 

Cold Climate Adaptability

In colder regions, protect from severe frost or grow in pots against a south wall and bring inside for winter. A simple winter mulch at the base with bark or similar organic matter provides additional protection for borderline hardy situations.

 

Annual Care Programme

Apply organic mulch around the base to conserve moisture and provide winter protection. Annual pruning after flowering maintains compact habit and encourages vigorous new growth. The drought-tolerant nature means minimal watering once established.

 

Seasonal Interest Calendar

  • Spring: New coppery-pink foliage emergence and early flower bud development

  • Late Spring/Summer: Spectacular crimson bottlebrush flower display

  • Autumn: Continued flowering potential and attractive foliage colour

  • Winter: Evergreen structure and form maintenance

 

Landscape Design Applications

  • Specimen Planting: Outstanding focal point for contemporary and Mediterranean gardens

  • Mixed Borders: Provides height, structure, and exotic appeal

  • Coastal Gardens: Excellent salt tolerance and wind resistance

  • Container Displays: Perfect for patio and terrace growing

  • Wildlife Gardens: Attracts birds and beneficial insects

 

Growing Success Tips

Success with 'Splendens' centres on providing adequate warmth and protection whilst taking advantage of its natural drought tolerance and low maintenance requirements. Choose the most sheltered, sunny position available, provide winter protection in marginal areas, and prepare to be amazed by the spectacular flowering display this award-winning variety produces. Your Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens' will prove that exotic beauty and reliable performance can be combined in one outstanding plant, delivering dramatic garden impact and year-round interest that transforms any landscape into something truly special.

Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries

At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.

Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.

Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.

Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.

* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.

Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.

Planting and Conditions

Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.

Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.

One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.

Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.

Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.

Aftercare and Pruning

Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.

Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.

Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.

All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.

Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.

To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.

Potential Issues

Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.

This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.

To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same. 

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