Popular Australian evergreen shrub or small tree attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Bright red or pink flowers that resemble a bottle brush begin blooming in spring and continue into fall. Bottlebrush will tolerate many garden conditions and exposures and is tolerant of dry conditions once established. Shrub varieties can be pruned to an informal hedge or be left to show their natural shape.

Examples: Lemon bottlebrush (C. citrinus, 6-12’ x 8-12’) is the most commonly grown species in California. Weeping bottlebrush (C. viminalis, 20’ x 15’) has pendulous branches. C. viminalis ‘Little John’ (3-5’ x 4-6’) is a low-growing mounding form with deep red flowers that is popular as a foundation or accent plant. C. ‘Jeffers’ (Jeffers bottlebrush 6-8′ x 4-6′) reddish purple stamens that age to lavender almost year round.