Family Myrtaceae.
Originating from Australia.
- Broad leaves emerge silver with red tints, making a compact bush.
- Soft, translucent lemon-yellow flowers appear in profusion in spring.
- One of the hardiest bottlebrushes, easy to grow in full sun and in pots.
The Lemon Yellow Bottlebrush in Your Garden
A spring spectacular to cheer all gardeners out of the winter blues. Pale lemon-yellow-tinted cream bottlebrushes appear en masse amongst a flush of new foliage. The leaves are red as they shoot, becoming silver with pink tints; a lovely accompaniment to the flowers.
Hardy in southern and coastal UK gardens, Callistemon pallidus should be given a sheltered spot elsewhere. It grows steadily to 2.5–4m tall and wide in 10-20 years, making a dense, rounded shrub. Perfect for Norfolk’s Mediterranean gardens and coastal climate, it is adaptable and makes a standout specimen in any garden style. In Suffolk’s seaside gravel gardens, it is a drought-tolerant, pollinator-attracting sensation.
The lemon-yellow bottlebrush’s flowers are worth viewing up close when planted in pots on patios, beside seating or paths. Their intricate structure, with many crowded thread-like stamens, is fascinating, with complex hues of green, cream, white and yellow.
Growing Tips for Your Lemon Yellow Bottlebrush, Callistemon pallidus
- Soil and sun: Well-drained soil. Full sun for best flowering and colour.
- Planting: Best in spring. Never plant a dry plant! Plunge the pot into water to thoroughly drench the rootball before planting.
- Watering: Water regularly until established. Highly drought-tolerant once rooted.
- Pruning: Trim after flowering to maintain shape and encourage bushiness.
A boon for waterwise and wildlife gardens, this special evergreen, architectural species is also steeped in folklore and medicine. Australian Aboriginal people have used it as bush medicine for centuries for its antioxidant properties. Western medicine now recognises these benefits. When the leaves are crushed or the stems are cut, their essential oils are evident, releasing a pleasant aroma.
