Bottlebrush
A Mediterranean-garden favourite: needs sun, drainage and, in cold areas, a wall to lean on.
Care
Full sun and a warm, sheltered spot.
Low-medium; water well in summer in pots, sparingly in winter.
Well-drained, neutral to acid soil; can yellow on chalk.
Trim just behind the spent flower spikes after flowering to keep it bushy; don't cut into bare old wood.
A low-phosphate or ericaceous feed in spring and summer for pots.
Semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- AugustTrim just behind faded flower spikes. how ›
- NovemberIn colder gardens move pots under cover or fleece plants in hard frost. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- AugustTrim just behind faded flower spikes. how ›
- NovemberIn colder gardens move pots under cover or fleece plants in hard frost. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- AugustTrim just behind faded flower spikes. how ›
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- AugustTrim just behind faded flower spikes. how ›
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Yellow leaves on alkaline soil.
What to do. Ericaceous feed and rainwater.
How to spot it. Browned shoots in hard winters.
What to do. Trim in spring; give shelter.
Questions
Bottlebrush: is it hardy?
H3: Half hardy. It survives down to −5 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes, in ericaceous or loam-based compost.
Bottlebrush: when do you prune it?
Trim just behind the spent flower spikes after flowering to keep it bushy; don't cut into bare old wood. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in August.
Bottlebrush: when does it flower?
In the climate of UK it flowers in May–August.
When do you feed it?
A low-phosphate or ericaceous feed in spring and summer for pots. Feeding months, UK: April, June.