Callistemon citrinus Splendens - Bottlebrush

Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens' is very similar to Callistemon laevis, and like the latter, is one of the most planted varieties in our gardens that experience mild winters. With a beautiful bushy and compact habit, slightly weeping with age, it is appreciated for its dazzling flowering in almost fluorescent red bottlebrushes on light green foliage, which follows its young shoots tinged with red, during a long summer period. Its particularly tough evergreen foliage releases a scent when crushed that curiously resembles that of the Lemon Eucalyptus, its cousin from the myrtle family. Its modest size for the genus, its attractive habit, its year-round foliage, and its long flowering make it an excellent terrace plant in any region. It shines in the center of an exotic bed in mild climates.

Callistemon citrinus is an evergreen bush from the myrtle family, and a cousin of myrtles and Leptospermum, originating from Australia like them. Callistemons are mostly riverside plants that appreciate moist, well-drained soils, without excess limestone, and occasionally even dry soils, but also generous and occasional watering to support their flowering. Its species name, citrinus, refers to the particular scent of its foliage.

The 'Splendens' cultivar, has a more compact habit that does not exceed 2.50m (8ft 2in) in height and 2m (6ft 7in) in width. It is a bush for mild climates, with brittle wood, forming a rounded bush with slightly spreading branches. Its growth is rather fast. Its linear and narrow foliage is divided into leaflets that are 5cm (2in) long and 1cm (0.4in) wide. They are tinted salmon red when they bud, turn light green, then become bright green. The young leaves produced in late summer retain their reddish-orange colour throughout winter. Its inflorescences appear at the tip of the branches, just above the young leaves. They are composed of very long stamens of a very bright red colour, taking on a more magenta hue as the days go by, and are gathered in cylindrical spikes. These inflorescences are about 5cm (2in) wide and approximately 10cm (3.9in) long, and slightly droop. The terminal bud repeatedly develops new leaves, then new bottlebrushes, while the old inflorescence produces small, very hard cup-shaped fruits embedded in the bark. The flowering can occur from June to August-September in moist soil and hot climates, especially in late summer. It is also a nectar-rich and honey-producing plant that attracts many pollinating insects to the garden.

Hardy to about -7°C/-8°C (17.6 °F), Callistemon 'Splendens' tolerates summer drought quite well once well established, but appreciates watering in dry climates. In a greenhouse or conservatory, it will form an extremely decorative quartet with an orange tree, a Tibouchina, or a Mimosa, evoking landscapes with exotic charm and scents. On the Mediterranean coast or in a warm to moderately warm Atlantic climate, it can be used as a standalone plant - it deserves it - in the centre of a bed, or as a free-standing hedge, associated with Grevillea, Phormium, Caesalpinia gillesii, Leptospermum, Melaleuca. It can also be planted in an evergreen hedge, accompanied by a shrubby Ceanothus ('Italian Skies', 'Concha', 'Puget Blue', 'Skylark'...), a spring-flowering broom, or Oleanders (Nerium oleander 'Soleil Levant' or 'Provence'). Its good salt tolerance allows for coastal exposure, facing the wind and salt spray.