Each month, Pasadena Beautiful Tree Program Chair Emina Darakjy presents a ‘tree of the month’ in order to educate Pasadenans about the trees around them. Many people drive by trees they admire, but have no idea what they are called, or what their growing habits are. Pasadena Beautiful was founded in 1960 by a group of volunteers who saw a need to beautify their city and enhance its tree canopy.
The bottle brush is native to Eastern Australia and belongs to the Myrtaceae family. Its name, Callistemon, is derived from the Greek word meaning “Beautiful stamen”, and its common name “Bottle Brush” is attributed to its flowers which resemble bottle cleaners.
This bottle brush is a small-sized evergreen tree with a rounded canopy. It grows to a maximum height of 25 feet with an equally wide spread, making it a good choice for planting underneath power lines.
The leaves are narrow light green, simple, alternate and emit a lemon scent when crushed.
In the spring to early summer and and at other times throughout the year, the tree is covered with an explosion of small brush-like bright red flowers with a nectar that attracts all manner of birds and bees.
The fruit comes in the form of dark woody capsules that follow the flowers and tend to stay on the tree for a long time. These capsules contain small seeds that are adored by wildlife.
The bottle brush is a tough tree with no known pests or diseases at the present. It tolerates many soil conditions, but does better in a well-drained soil. It also prefers a sunny location, but it can also take some partial shade. This is a simple tree to grow that only requires an occasional light pruning when needed.
There are many species and cultivars in the bottle brush family. The two most commonly planted ones in our area are the Callistemon Viminalis, which has is very distinctive look due to its weeping form and the Callistemon Citrinus described here.
The bark of the bottle brush is light-gray, furrowed and tends to peel off. This is a tree that is well suited for planting in a parkway and medians. Damage to sidewalks from its roots is minimal. This tree is also deer resistant if this is a concern in your area.
Due to its stunning display of vivid red flowers that last for a very long period of time, the Callistemon Citrinus is a very popular tree to plant as a single trunk or as a shrub.
Some people may object to the litter caused by its flowers when they drop. I prefer to view this phenomenon as a sign of a “living tree,” doing what it is supposed to do.
Emina Darakjy is a past president of Pasadena Beautiful and its present tree program chair. Darakjy has always had a passion for trees and is involved with several other tree organizations such as California Re-Leaf, the Arbor Day Foundation, and American Forests. She is a past president of Street Tree Seminar Inc. and the present president of the California Urban Forests Council.
