The weeping red bottle brush is called both the Melaleuca viminalis and/or Callistemon viminalis is a tree native to eastern Australia, in New South Wales and Queensland. Bottlebrushes are handsome trees with colourful bottlebrush flowers, attractive ornamental nuts and a hardy growing nature. These trees are drought tolerant when established, and very low maintenance. They often grow into wild, gnarled trees with an interesting windswept shape. They are happy to grow in areas prone to seasonal flooding or with poor rocky soil, adding shade and shelter in areas where other trees struggle.
Crimson weeping bottlebrush are a mid-sized tree with a willowy growing pattern. Red bottlebrushes flower here from August through to January and add a lot of environmental benefit to any lot as they are attractive to honey eating birds, native and introduced bees like Apis mellifera, and caterpillar larvae of various native Australian butterflies.
The seeds of this species are very very tiny – careful when you open the packet. The seeds also need light to germinate. Sow them by sprinkling them across damp soil, and using a light covering of dirt 1mm deep. Keep soil moist throughout the germination process, and prepare to be patient. Seeds germinate between 14-55 days.
Unlike most bottlebrushes, this species does not hold their nuts on the stems from the previous year. Seeds are stored in removeable nuts along the branches. Locate unopened nuts on the stem, and gently snap them off. Place nuts in a dark-coloured dish (like a navy blue or black ceramic bowl) and leave somewhere warm and dry, away from direct sunlight. Over 48-72hrs, the nuts will naturally open, releasing tiny, honey blonde-coloured seeds.