Callistemon citrinus Red Rocket - Bottlebrush

Callistemon citrinus 'Red Rocket' is a beautiful hybrid with a compact habit that stands out for its particularly colourful growth. This bush, suitable for mild climates, will charm with its shiny young shoots, almost as decorative as its dazzling flowering in bright red bottlebrushes. Its evergreen and leathery foliage emits a scent that curiously resembles that of the Lemon-scented Eucalyptus, its cousin in the myrtle family. Its modest size, attractive dense habit, and year-round foliage make it an excellent patio plant in all regions. It will shine in the center of an exotic bed in a seaside garden.

Callistemon 'Red Rocket' is an evergreen bush in the myrtle family, a cousin of myrtles and Leptospermum. This 'Red Rocket' variety is the result of cross-breeding with Callistemon citrinus, native to Australia. Most Callistemons are riverside plants that appreciate fresh, well-drained soils, without excess limestone, and can even tolerate dry conditions in summer. Regular and generous watering supports their flowering. The species name citrinus refers to the particular scent of its foliage.

Callistemon 'Red Rocket' forms a dense bush that will not exceed 1.50m (4ft 11in) in height and 1m (3ft 4in) in width. It is a bush suitable for mild climates and does not tolerate frost below -5°C (23 °F) well. Its linear and narrow foliage is divided into leaflets that are 5cm (2in) long and 1.3cm (0.5in) wide. They are tinted scarlet red when they emerge, then become light green and finally dark green. The young leaves produced in late summer retain their red colour throughout the winter. Flowering occurs from May to July-August, depending on the climate. The inflorescences appear at the tips of the branches, just above the young leaves. They consist of very long bright red stamens, which take on a more magenta hue as the days go by and are gathered in cylindrical spikes. These inflorescences are 5cm (2in) wide and about 10cm (3.9in) long. Light pruning after flowering will result in the formation of new shoots, followed by new bottlebrushes. The faded flowers produce small, very hard cup-shaped fruits embedded in the bark. Callistemon 'Red Rocket' is a nectar-rich plant that attracts many pollinating insects in the garden.

Callistemon 'Red Rocket' tolerates summer drought quite well once established, but appreciates water in very dry climates. In a greenhouse or conservatory, it will pair well with a Cape leadwort, a Tibouchina, or a Mimosa, forming an extremely decorative quartet that evokes landscapes with exotic charm and scents. On the Mediterranean coast or in a warm to moderately warm Atlantic climate, it can be used as a standalone plant - it deserves it - in the centre of a bed, or as an informal hedge, combined with Grevillea, Caesalpinia gillesii, Leptospermum, and compact Ceanothus ('Italian Skies', 'Concha', 'Puget Blue', 'Skylark'...). Its good tolerance to salt allows for coastal exposure, facing the wind and sea spray.