Callistemon Viminalis 'Slim'
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Slim Bottlebrush / Narrow Bottlebrush
Botanical Name: Callistemon viminalis ‘Slim’(syn. Melaleuca viminalis ‘Slim’)
Family: Myrtaceae
Origin: Australia (cultivar selection)
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub / narrow columnar screen
Overview
Ultra-slender, columnar bottlebrush bred for tight spaces. Dense mid-green foliage (often bronze on new growth) hugs upright stems, topped with crimson-red brushes mainly in spring with spot flowers in summer–autumn. Ideal for privacy hedging in side paths and small gardens, or as a feature in pots—tough, tidy and bird-attracting.
Key Features
- Mature Size: 2.5–3.5 m H × 0.8–1.2 m W (keeps narrower with clipping)
- Growth Rate: 30-60 cm per year under good conditions
- Foliage: Narrow mid-green leaves; bronze/copper tints on new growth
- Flowers: Crimson-red bottlebrush spikes (spring; repeats in warm seasons)
- Seasonal Interest: Showy spring flowering + repeat colour; evergreen structure year-round
- Wildlife Value: Attracts honeyeaters and native bees
- Tolerance: Drought-tolerant (once established), heat-tolerant, wind-tolerant, second-line coastal-tolerant; light frost (protect from hard frost)
- Planting Density: Privacy hedge/screen: 0.6–0.8 m centres (≈ 1–1.6 per metre); Specimen/feature: 1–1.5 m apart; excellent in large containers
- Pet Friendly: Non-toxic to cats & dogs
Where It Works Best
- Sunlight: Full sun to part shade (best bloom in sun)
- Soil: Well-drained loam, sandy loam or clay loam (mound on heavy sites)
- Water Needs: Establishment: 2 deep soaks/week for 8–12 weeks. Established: deep soak every 10–14 days in summer (weekly in heatwaves); minimal in winter
- Maintenance: Light prune after flowering to maintain the slim column; mulch; feed in early spring with low-P native fertiliser
- Lifespan: 15-25+ years
- Climate Zones: Temperate & Mediterranean SA, including coastal areas
- Soil pH: Acidic to neutral; tolerates slightly alkaline
Landscape & Design Ideas
- Slim privacy hedge for side boundaries and narrow strips
- Space-saving screen under powerlines or along driveways
- Feature in tall pots for entries and courtyards
Why You Will Love It
A space-saving, low-maintenance bottlebrush that packs crimson colour and dense screening into the narrowest spots—perfect for modern South Australian gardens.