Callistemon plants (bottle brush)
Callistemon plants are fabulous, exotic-looking evergreen shrubs producing masses of fluffy cylindrical flower heads in shades or red, crimson and occasionally yellow with a rich citrus fragrance. Commonly known as bottle brush as the flower spikes, produced through the summer, bear a strong resemblance to bottle brushes. The flowers are displayed at the end of slender, arching branches, clothed with narrow, stiff, lance-shaped foliage. Native to Australia, callistemon are low maintenance, easy to grow and drought tolerant once established. They can be grown as shrubs or small trees, working well as lawn specimens, against a wall or fence or used as a container shrub to bring a tropical feel to patio or decked areas of the garden. Bottle brushes are unfussy about soil and aspect and generally problem-free but do require protection from hard frosts using horticultural fleece (or by moving indoors if grown in a container).