Commonly found in the Mediterranean regions, the bottlebrush tree quickly attracts attention and arouses enthusiasm. It is inevitable that the desire to bring this plant into the garden at home arises.
A cylinder brush tree can grow up to seven meters high
A perfect solitaire
Although this plant is originally from Australia and needs plenty of light and warmth, it can also thrive in this country. With its showy blooms, evergreen foliage and spreading crown, it makes the perfect specimen plant.
External features that impress
The flowering period lasts from spring to summer. Bright red flowers are presented, which are vaguely reminiscent of bottle brushes and have given the cylinder brush tree its name. The long stamens, numerous of which point in all directions, are the formative element in general. Their red color creates an unmistakable complementary contrast to the foliage.
Here are other facts about this tree to know:
- Growth height: 2 to 7 m
- Crown with a diameter of up to 3 m
- light brown, rough bark
- oblong-oval, evergreen, slightly furry leaves
Cutting regularly is paramount
In contrast to the bottlebrush bush, the bottlebrush tree requires more pruning care to maintain its appearance. If you want to grow the tree yourself from a shrub, you will need to regularly remove branches for the first three years to get a trunk. Create a beautifully sweeping crown!
No plant for the local winters
Do not plant the bottlebrush tree! It does not survive the winters in our latitudes. Even with a good cover of leaves and twigs, it freezes to death when temperatures fall below -5°C. Therefore, only plant this plant in the tub so that you can put it inside in the winter!
An ideal hibernation quarters for the cylinder cleaning tree can be found, for example, in the conservatory. The temperature should be between 5 and 10 °C to stop the plant from growing. Be careful that the plant does not fall victim to spider mites or aphids!
tips
Keeping this up to 7 m tall plant indoors during winter can be a big challenge. Therefore, think carefully beforehand whether the room height in your home is sufficient for the cylinder cleaning tree!