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CALLISTEMON sieberi
River Bottlebrush
Stock: Available
Family: Myrtaceae
Characteristics: Small tree 6 m spread 3 m
Seed per packet: 50
Typically in cultivation it is a shrub to around 3 m in height and 2 m in wide. Usually with yellow flowers but pale pink flowers are sometimes seen. Flowers through spring, summer and autumn with brushes 8 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. Can be weeping in habit, very hardy.
Often found along riverbanks and creek beds it is better suited to wetter soils than many bottlebrushes.
Native to large areas of Australia including Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.
Prefers a medium moist soil in a protected cool position, frost resistant but drought tender.
Note: A paper by Lyn Craven of the Australian National Herbarium in 2006 argues that the differences between the genera Callistemon and Melaleuca are insufficient to warrant them being retained separately and that they should be combined. As Melaleuca has precedence some Australian state herbaria use the name Melaleuca paludicola.
Although seed can be sown most of the year in Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn in temperate climates, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 18-22°C
- Sow seed on surface of a porous seed raising mix. The seed will lodge in the the pores of the mix once watered.
- Sprinkle a very light covering of the seed raising mix over the seed if required to hold the seed in place. Do not bury seed deeply.
- Water with fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
- Place in a warm shaded or semi shaded position to avoid dying out.
- Keep warm & moist, avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.
- Germination generally occurs in around 14-28 days in the right condition.
General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.
