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Ask a Gardening QuestionGardening Questions & Answers: Plant ProblemsCallistemom help please

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Callistemom help please

#1 · 28th May 2023, 9:38 am

Hello,

I bought a very pretty little bottlebrush shrub about a month ago. It’s potted and the nursery told me it would be fine in a container for up to a year before planting out in the garden.

At first it seemed to thrive, with beautiful vibrant flowers and healthy looking new growth but over the past week it’s started deteriorating quickly. First the flowers seemed to fold in on themselves and I’ve noticed a shiny, clear substance over them. Now the leaves are drying out and I fear the plant is dying. I’ve been watering it daily since I noticed this but it continues to deteriorate.

Any thoughts very welcome. Could this be a disease, a pest or an issue at root level?

Thank you so much!

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#2 · 29th May 2023, 10:46 am

Hi @anikna99

Thanks for your comment on your sickly Calistemon which has stopped flowering.

The good news is it doesn't look like there's anything wrong with your Bottlebrush (Calistemon) plant. It just looks to me like its finished flowering. It looks healthy and like its not dehydrated which means you've watered it fine.

In the UK, bottlebrush tend to only flower for 1-2 months. So it's probably just finished flowering for this year. Calistemon usually flower any time between May and August.

As with most imported plants, this shrub has probably spent its life in a polytunnel and been forced to flower ready for sale at the nursery. i.e. put under a lot of stress. Then when you get it home, it finally has a rest. This means it may have flowered early. Hence it losing its flowers now in May.

The leaves of this evergreen shrub (originally from Australia and part of the Myrtle family) look fine. So they don't show any size of disease or plant health problems.

One of the biggest problems will be the lack of nutrients moving forward. The pot it's in is tiny for the size of the shrub. It really needs to go in the ground asap. The advice that it will be fine in the pot is poor advice. As this plant will reach 10-12 ft over its lifespan, it really needs the ground for access to plant nutrients and watering.

Find a sunny and protected spot, then get it in the ground.

Calistemion planting conditions:

Calistemon or bottlebrush need full sun. Free draining soil and protection from winter frosts. Although they are hardy if left in exposed positions with a heavy winter frost then this can quickly kill them off. This is why they are sometimes known as greenhouse plants really.

I hope that helps!

Lee

#3 · 29th May 2023, 11:30 am

Hi Lee

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and for your really helpful explanation about the flowering season.

Unfortunately, since my post, the leaves have started to dry out and become quite brittle looking. I’ve attached a photo taken today. The photos I attached yesterday don’t show this well - it’s become much more pronounced today.

Do you think getting it into the ground will help it ?

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