Callistemon, Dwarf Bottlebrush 'Better John'

These plants have grown very well and behaved awesomely. They are probably the smallest, cutest, and most floriferous Callistemon/Melaleu...Read Moreca plants I’ve ever grown. Although they haven’t had a zone-defining winter test yet, they did establish themselves very well over a very wet and icy winter with no problems.

Update (August 2022): during a borderline Zone 8a/8b winter where the plants started out with no protection, the limits of hardiness were apparently reached. The vascular tissues near the ends of the stems froze and burst starting at around 20F, which later resulted in substantial dieback. Protection thereafter apparently saved the plants from dying back to the ground (or completely), but they were slow to recover and did not bloom the following spring. Since my primary reason for growing these was for flowers, not foliage, these were a bust for me, and should realistically be rated Zone 9a. There are many other bottlebrushes that are more cold-hardy here, especially Woodlander’s Hardy Red, Clemson Hardy, Semmes Hardy, and Callistemon/Melaleuca pityoides.

Bred from 'Little John' this new, small shrub is easier to grow and establish, has beautiful small bottle brush florets from mid to late ...Read MoreSpring, and is drought tough, requiring water until established.