Plant Library

Description:

Intense crimson red bottlebrush blooms throughout the summer on a compact variety that produces dense, silvery new foliage that matures to blue-green; quick to establish a nice, mounded habit; an easy-care low hedge or landscape accent

Ornamental Features

Better John™ Bottlebrush features showy spikes of crimson catkins at the ends of the branches from mid spring to late fall. It has bluish-green foliage with hints of silver which emerges silver in spring. The fragrant narrow leaves remain bluish-green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Better John™ Bottlebrush is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Better John™ Bottlebrush is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Better John™ Bottlebrush will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Better John™ Bottlebrush makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.