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Dwarf Bottlebrush - Callistemon citrinus 'Little John'
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Author:  gsblake [ Wed Mar 21, 2007 12:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Dwarf Bottlebrush - Callistemon citrinus 'Little John'

Does anyone have an experience with this plant, cold hardiness in particular? Some research has turned up hardiness down to only zone 10. However, other sources (Monrovia in particular) list hardiness down to zone 8. Is this conflicting information (and if so which is accurate) or slightly different varietal of the same plant?

Author:  khwoz [ Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:06 pm ]
Post subject: 

I have no experience with this plant but as far as zones; the DFW area is in zone 8. What you need to look at is "from zone ? to zone ?". If your area falls into the zone listed, you should be OK barring any freak cold weather problems. Using organic techniques will also provide additional cold (and hot) weather protection (see Howard's bay tree on the home page).

Author:  gsblake [ Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:22 pm ]
Post subject: 

KHWOZ wrote:
...as far as zones; the DFW area is in zone 8. What you need to look at is "from zone ? to zone ?". If your area falls into the zone listed, you should be OK barring any freak cold weather problems.


Yes, I understand that. And that's really the crux of my question. I have seen (online and in nurseries) the cold hardiness range for this plant listed differently.

According to Monrovia, for example, it's hardy to zone 8 and therefore will do fine in DFW. But according to other sources it is hardy down to only zone 10 and therefore not a good fit for DFW (or at least not one that I care to take one).

I was hoping someone could offer insight as to why this might be and which listing is more accurate.

Author:  BWhit [ Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:04 pm ]
Post subject: 

I have 2 in outdoor containers in my backyard. When I bought them the tag said they were hardy to 30 degrees so I planned on bringing them indoors when we had a freeze--and did so successfully this winter--until our last freeze. We have a newborn baby and in my sleep deprived state I forgot to bring them inside. The next morning I checked the weather. The forecast called for a low of 27 and in actuality it got down to 16 degrees. The temperature was back up above 40 within a day or two.
Within a few days they both looked dead. I decided to cut them down to about 1 inch stubs just to see what would happen. I figured I had nothing to lose. I am pleased to say that they are both returning with new growth from the base.
Since we usually get down into the 'teens at least once during the winter, I would not think that they would survive a winter planted outdoors without taking precautions.
I dont know if that helps, but that is my experience with them.

Author:  gsblake [ Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:15 pm ]
Post subject: 

BWhit wrote:
I have 2 in outdoor containers in my backyard. When I bought them the tag said they were hardy to 30 degrees so I planned on bringing them indoors when we had a freeze--and did so successfully this winter--until our last freeze. We have a newborn baby and in my sleep deprived state I forgot to bring them inside. The next morning I checked the weather. The forecast called for a low of 27 and in actuality it got down to 16 degrees. The temperature was back up above 40 within a day or two.
Within a few days they both looked dead. I decided to cut them down to about 1 inch stubs just to see what would happen. I figured I had nothing to lose. I am pleased to say that they are both returning with new growth from the base.
Since we usually get down into the 'teens at least once during the winter, I would not think that they would survive a winter planted outdoors without taking precautions.
I dont know if that helps, but that is my experience with them.


Thanks. That's exactly the sort of anecdote I was looking for.

Author:  Dirt Doctor [ Sat Mar 24, 2007 7:02 am ]
Post subject: 

I'm working on a new book for Houston and it's only there I've seen it growing. Very pretty little plant but needs to be treated like a tropical in areas north of Houston.

Author:  gsblake [ Sat Mar 24, 2007 7:47 am ]
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Thanks, Howard. I saw your hardiness notes about the non-dwarf version and wasn't sure they applied to this one too.

The plant seems to be being used successfully in Austin. There's a woman there who keeps a pretty interesting gardening blog (Googling the words "digging", "Austin" and "blog" will turn it up) who has one planted outdoors. She also references an Austin landscaper who uses the plant. That said, the temperature can vary broadly in Austin depending on what part of town you're in.

Author:  Dirt Doctor [ Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:06 pm ]
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It's a great little plant. Give it a shot.

Author:  rickyt7161 [ Thu May 03, 2007 5:01 pm ]
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I live in Cibolo, TX(close to San Antonio) and have this plant. It took 3 years to get the red "bottlebrushes" but WOW was it worth the wait. I have people walk by the house and ask what it is. It can get pretty cold here a few nights in the winter. I cover it with one of the breathable fabric type plant covers and have had no problems. It also loves the hot hot afternoon sun in gets. It likes a slightly acidic soil so I throw a few coffee grounds on it once a month.

Its a great plant and I highly recommend it.

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