- Mature height
- 5m to 10m (approx.)
- Mature width
- 3m to 5m
Callistemon salignus flushes soft pink new growth over willow-like foliage several times a year, then carries cream to pale pink bottlebrush flowers through spring and summer. The Willow Bottlebrush gives more year-round colour than a plain green screening tree without asking for any extra care.
Callistemon salignus grows to 5 to 10 metres tall and 3 to 5 metres wide at 40 to 70 centimetres per year, with a dense upright habit and papery bark that develops character with age. It can be run as a tall privacy screen, a rural shelterbelt, or lifted to a single trunk as a feature tree.
This Australian native is frost hardy, surviving heavy and frequent frost without damage, and tolerates poor soils, extended dry and seasonal waterlogging once established. It grows in full sun and is widely used in civic and revegetation planting because it performs with almost no maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Callistemon salignus
How tall does Callistemon salignus grow?
Callistemon salignus grows to 5 to 10 metres tall and 3 to 5 metres wide. It is one of the taller bottlebrushes and is often used where a screen needs real height rather than a low hedge.
How fast does Willow Bottlebrush grow?
It grows at 40 to 70 centimetres per year once established, forming a usable screen within three to four years in reasonable soil with water through the first two summers.
What colour are the flowers?
Flowers are cream to pale pink, appearing through spring and summer with sporadic flushes at other times. They are softer in tone than the vivid reds of most bottlebrushes.
Why does the new growth look pink?
New foliage emerges soft pink to bronze before hardening to green. Flushes occur several times through the growing season, and trimming triggers another, so a maintained plant carries colour for much of the year.
Is Callistemon salignus frost hardy?
Yes. It is frost hardy and survives heavy and frequent frost without damage, which suits it to inland tablelands districts as well as coastal and lowland sites.
Does it tolerate wet ground?
Yes. Callistemon salignus handles seasonal waterlogging better than most screening trees, which makes it useful along drainage lines, dam edges and low-lying paddock corners.
How far apart should I plant it for a screen?
Plant 1.5 to 2 metres apart for a dense screen at this scale, or 3 to 4 metres apart as individual feature trees where the papery trunk can develop.