YouGarden Callistemon Viminalis 'hot Pink' In 3L Pot

This is a fabulous new colour addition to the amazing Bottlebrush family. No prizes for guessing where they get their name from - their classic spring flowers zing with intense colour. Usually red, this is the first widely available pink, and what a neon-pink it is too.

Each flower is made up of thousands of thin stamens, each pollen rich, so become a mecca for bees and butterflies early in the season. Flowering in spring and early summer, it is great to attract early season pollinators to fruit - and sometimes has a mini flush of flowers again in autumn.

Grow in a pot in a warm and sunny spot, in a well-drained mix. A half-hardy shrub, give winter protection in colder, windier spots, as early leaves and growth can be damaged.

Specifications

• Availability: April to October
• Planting time: March to August
• Flowering time: May to July
• Supplied as a 3 year old well established plant 40cm tall in a 3L pot

Top Tips

• Callistemon will flower best when grown in full sun in moist but well drained soil in a sheltered position away from cold winds.
• Outdoors, Callistemon (Bottlebrush) look great in mixed borders especially if combined with other drought tolerant plants such as salvias and lavenders.

Care Information

Planting Advice for Callistemon Bottlebrush

• Generally unfussy as to soil, poor soil benefits from the addition of plenty of organic matter.
• Once established plants don't need special attention and are generally problem-free.
• Pot-grown trees can be planted at any time of the year as long as the soil is not waterlogged or frozen.
• Dig a square planting hole 3 x wider than the roots of the shrub you're planting and mix some well-rotted compost or manure with the soil from the hole and use this to re-fill once the shrub is in place.
• Before planting soak container-grown shrubs thoroughly and allow to drain.
• Remove your Callistemon from its pot and tease out a few of the roots.
• Add Mycorrhizal fungi to the roots when planting to help plants establish quicker.
• Place your tree in the hole at the same level at the pot, refill, firm, and water well.
• Mulch around the base of the plant.
• Plants can also be grown in a pot using a good quality soil-based compost.

Aftercare Advice for your Bottlebrush

• Although drought-tolerant, Callistemon requires regular watering.
• Feed with a general-purpose liquid feed in the growing season and top dress in the spring.
• Callistemon can get out of hand under glass so restrictive pruning may be necessary to keep their shape.
• Half-hardy, in very exposed sites a fleece cover and mulch will see them safely through the winter. Potted plants can be moved to a cool conservatory or greenhouse.

Pruning Advice for Callistemon

• Lightly prune after flowering to keep them under control, cutting just behind the spent bloom.
• Callistemons in general don't like hard-pruning, so just remove spent flowerheads immediately after flowering, or trim new growth to maintain shape.