Bottle Brush

[Coach]

My neighbor was moving, offered whatever I wanted to dig from her landscape...very generous of her and lucky for me! I chose this Bottle Brush because of the bark and beautiful red blooms. It was a large shrub, I chopped to what you see now. This was about 6 weeks ago...looks like it's going to survive! ...everything you see is new growth. I plan to carve the deadwood and knobs.

Anybody have experience with these? I like how the foliage is leafing tight to the trunk but I noticed that the stems tend to elongate as they mature leaving a longer stem that leaves out on the tip...not as attractive. Will clip and grow prevent this?

Sorry about double pics, upload issues

 

[Cypress187]

I'm not familiar with this plant but i think you can always prune back to the shorter (or shortest) internodes (next year maybe)

 

[GrimLore]

I like how the foliage is leafing tight to the trunk but I noticed that the stems tend to elongate as they mature leaving a longer stem that leaves out on the tip...not as attractive.

Although Callistemon is a shrub it can be trained/grown to a tree type structure. I really think you will do best with it if you let it grow out this season and maybe even next season selecting branches you want to keep. They flower at the branch ends and can be quite nice looking. Pretty certain as the branches grow they will have leaf on them completing the picture if you let them.

Grimmy

 

[Coach]

I will take your advice, leaving it alone for a while, selecting branches when necessary. I will experiment a little by clipping the tips of the branches here and there to see how the branch responds (to see if it will recover/back bud and still produce a "brush"). BB grow great here so I think 2 years will provide quite a bit to work on...thank you Grimmy

 

[GrimLore]

BB grow great here so I think 2 years will provide quite a bit to work on...

Honest - that could be a wicked nice looking weeping, creating the illusion of a very large tree with the size of the base. It just needs time to do as they do and a good owner! Nice find by the way and do not worry about it being 2 - 3 foot tall when done - it could be elegant

Grimmy

 

[Coach]

Ahh, you are thinking something spooky like the "grim weeper" below...super cool tree

I have to get past my vision of formal upright first...decisions ...thanks for the idea

 

[GrimLore]

I have to get past my vision of formal upright first...decisions

I would strongly suggest not trying for a formal with most any shrub unless you have a LOT of time to dedicate to one plant on a bi-weekly basis. You can come up with a very nice specimen BUT most grow a lot faster then most trees... Either way looking good - rule one now, keep it alive!

Grimmy

 

[Txhorticulture]

That's a very nice freebie. It almost looks like bonsai already. I have always liked callistemon. The only one I had didn't make it through the winter. I know there are several species some more hardy than others. Do you know what species or variety yours is?

 

[Coach]

Thanks for taking interest Tex...I'm 99.9% sure it's a "little john" cultivar. I have attached a pic (Google image, not actual tree) of what the plant looked like in bloom before I aquired it. Blue-green, small compact foliage, bright red brushes.

 

[KellyKingTaormina]

This tree in nature always blows my mind! I just got a little one at a nursery for $5 and am playing with it... New to bonsai, long time gardener