How to Grow a Very Tall Bottlebrush Tree

Bottlebrush blooms look like spiked brushes.

The bottlebrush tree, or Callistemon, is a woody shrub native to Australia. The plant gets its name from the red, spiky bottlebrush-shaped flower parts that appear in the springtime. Some types of bottlebrush can grow very tall, ideal as a colorful centerpiece to a tended garden. Follow a few key steps when growing your bottlebrush and you can encourage tall tree growth--without sacrificing beautiful annual blooms.

Things You'll Need

• Bottlebrush sapling, cutting or seed
• Secateurs
• Mulch
• Fertilizer
• Spade

Instructions

1. Choose the right type of bottlebrush. Some varieties will not grow beyond shrub size. Select tree-like bottlebrush. Weeping bottlebrushes grow up to 21 feet and willow bottlebrushes grow up to 36 feet tall, according to the Australian National Botanic Gardens. Buy a sapling tree from a garden nursery instead of growing from seed. While bottlebrushes will grow from seed, buying a healthy young tree means you can focus on trying to help it grow tall.

2. Set up a growing area in a spot that gets bathed in lots of sunshine. Dig to a spade depth and turn the soil over. Ideal soil is slightly sandy and fast draining, with a pH of around 7. Pull out any weeds that you find and remove big rocks.

3. Dig a hole in the prepared soil twice as wide as the root system of the sapling bottlebrush tree. Insert the plant into the hole until the top of the root ball is level with the ground. Fill in the hole with soil and press the dirt down around the trunk to secure the tree.

4. Add mulch around the base of the bottlebrush tree. Mulch helps keep the weeds down and stores moisture in the ground for longer.

5. Spray the soil with water until moist. Keep the soil as damp as possible right through the summer and beyond. Damp means moist to the touch. Do not let the area get waterlogged or the roots may rot.

6. Prune the bottlebrush by snipping off blooms that have flowered. Trim off unruly or wide branches to encourage upward, rather than horizontal, growth. Feed the tree with a monthly application of general fertilizer.

7. Monitor the growing tree carefully. To reach its full height potential you will need to keep an eye out for signs of wilting, disease or pest attack. Remove leafs infected with fungus brown spots.

Tips & Warnings

• Try spraying your tree foliage with a light mist every day. The moisture can promote healthy growth and deter some pest species.

References

• Australian National Botanic Gardens: Bottlebrush
• Floridata: Callistemon
• Backyard Gardener: Weeping Bottlebrush