Callistemon or beautiful stamen (Callistemon) belongs to the Myrtle family. Homeland – Australia, New Zealand.
Due to the unusual appearance of the flowers, there are also such names as “Bengal candles” or “multistachinochnik”.
Callistemon is an evergreen shrub with narrow leathery leaves and long (up to 10-12 cm) numerous inflorescences that appear red, less often yellow due to their brightly colored stamens.
There are also tree-like species that are well suited for growing in the garden.
Indoor callistemon is a low plant, however, under natural conditions, as well as in the garden, it can reach from 0.5 to 15 m in height.
This flower has branched shoots that form a lush, but very uneven crown.
Side branches can stick out in all directions or even lie on the ground. The leaves of the plant are petiolate, pointed, on the back they have a slight pubescence. The central vein is clearly visible on them. They are attached to the shoots alternately, one after another.
The leaves have a characteristic feature – on their surface there are veins that can release essential oils.
Callistemon is an unusual flower, the main advantage of which is the unusual type of inflorescence, composed of many small oblong hairs with small, pea-like endings. Each stamen can be 2 to 5 cm in size.
The inflorescences are collected in spikes and resemble a bottle brush. Blooms in June – July. At the beginning of autumn, a kind of fruit ripens – spherical boxes with seeds with a diameter of 5 – 7 cm.
Callistemon lemon and willow
The most popular include:
Callistemon willow-shaped (C. salignus);
Callistemon lemon yellow (C. citrinus) – stamen filaments are red, anthers are raspberry;
Callistemon is beautiful (C. speciosus).
Callistemon lemon (Callistemon citrinus). This type of callistemon got its name because of the lemon smell, pronounced and well spreading. The plant releases its fragrance when the leaves are crushed. This flower can be both shrubby and tree-like. In the second case, it is a tree 2–4 m in height and with a crown width of 2–3 m.
As you can see from the photo, the flowers of this type of callistemon usually have a red color and leathery xiphoid leaves, the size of which varies depending on the variety. There are varieties with different flower colors.
Callistemon “Lilac Mist” (Mauve Mist).
The photo shows that the description of this variety of callistemon is somewhat different from all other varieties due to its color.
The inflorescences of this plant have a delicate pinkish or purple color. Also, a feature of the variety is its small growth – the flower reaches only 30 – 40 cm in height. It is preferably a houseplant.
Callistemon “White Anzac” (White Anzac).
The photo shows a variety of lemon callistemon, which is distinguished by a snow-white color of fluffy inflorescences and not very long leaves.
This is a low growing plant. At home, this callistemon feels great, but it can also be a good decoration for a spring garden.
Callistemon “Demens Rowena”. Scarlet staminate flowers bloom on a shrub up to 1.5 m high, gradually they become lighter and by the time they wither they are painted in a pale pink hue.
How to grow callistemon at home: care rules
Callistemon is a photophilous plant. Good lighting is one of the basic rules for good callistemon care when growing at home. This flower must be placed exclusively on a sunlit windowsill. At a temperature not lower than 7 ° C, you can safely take the plant to fresh air. If the sun is scorching outside, then it is advisable to put the flower under a small shelter so as not to damage it.
In winter, the optimum temperature is 5-10 °C. The temperature difference at different times of the year is necessary for abundant flowering. In spring and summer, the plant will decorate a warm, bright room. In the warm season, the flower will feel best at a moderate temperature – not higher than 25 and not lower than 22 ° C. In autumn, the air temperature begins to drop to 12-16 °C. In order for the crown to form correctly, it is important from time to time to turn the bush towards the sun with the previously unlit side. Otherwise, the branches will stretch in one direction, and the plant will lose its decorative appearance. In the winter season, in conditions of short daylight hours, this flower needs additional lighting. Fluorescent lamps should be placed at a height of 60 – 75 cm above the bush.
Does not require high humidity. Dislikes stuffy rooms. However, in conditions of too dry air, it can be affected by spider mites.
It does not impose special requirements on the composition of the soil, it prefers slightly acidic moist substrates with good drainage. The substrate is prepared from humus, coarse sand and high-moor peat (1:1:1).
In order to grow a healthy callistemon, as is the case with most other plants, you must strictly follow the rules for caring for this flower. Otherwise, he may get sick.
From spring to late autumn, abundant watering with soft water is necessary, in winter – moderate. The plant is very picky in the warm season. Do not allow the substrate to dry out, as this will lead to wilting of the leaves. At the same time, it is important to ensure that no water remains in the pan, which will certainly lead to rotting of the root system.
In spring and summer, top dressing is carried out with a complete mineral fertilizer. It is important to ensure that the fertilizer does not have a high concentration of phosphorus, as this can lead to increased growth of an already fairly tall plant, which will also harm flowering.
Plant transplantation is carried out in early spring once every 1 to 2 years. The reason for such a frequent carrying out of this procedure is that the root system of this flower loves narrow pots, therefore, it very quickly completely wraps around an earthen clod.
If you want to slow down the growth of callistemon, it is necessary to cancel planting in a new pot every year, thanks to which the root system has the opportunity to develop and the plant becomes taller. Instead, it is necessary to partially replace the soil from the pot with a new one.
Planting and pruning callistemon shrubs when leaving in the open field
You can plant an adult callistemon in open ground, then caring for it will become a little easier, since it will not be necessary to constantly delay the vigorous growth of the plant. However, in this case, it is important to choose a good location without drafts and with good lighting. In very hot periods of summer, the shrub will need to make shelters from the sun and occasionally spray the leaves with soft water. At the bottom of the pit, it is necessary to pour good drainage, which will allow excess moisture not to stagnate.
Callistemon is a type of plant that needs constant pruning to maintain its neat decorative appearance. It is carried out immediately after flowering in order not to tire the bush with the formation of seeds, if this is not necessary.
Also, this action will ensure abundant flowering next time, as pruning stimulates branching. However, you should not prune too late, as this can damage the plant and subsequently it will stop flowering. Thanks to this procedure, it is possible to regulate the growth of callistemon and not allow it to grow very much. Segments of shoots remaining after pruning can be put on cuttings or used for medicinal purposes – a decoction of the leaves is used externally for skin problems.
Propagation of callistemon by cuttings and seeds
Easily propagated by seeds and apical cuttings (in August) at a temperature of 20-25 °C.
If desired, reproduction of callistemon can be carried out using the cuttings obtained during pruning, without applying much effort. The cuttings should be semi-lignified, so they will take root better. The size of the cuttings should be at least 5 – 7 cm. It is necessary to root the seedlings in wet sand covered with a jar – this will create greenhouse conditions. To maintain the optimum soil temperature, a vessel with cuttings can be placed on a warm battery. Seedlings need to be constantly ventilated and watered with settled water.
Under such conditions, the first sprouts appear after 2-3 weeks. After they reach a height of 3 cm, it is necessary to plant callistemon in a pot, after which care must be carried out similar to caring for an adult plant. However, it is still desirable to water young plants a little more often, but not as plentifully as adults. Pots for planting should immediately choose a medium size. The plant develops rather slowly. It grows only 4-5 cm per year. Therefore, you should not wait for the early flowering of a young bush – usually callistemon blooms 4-5 years after planting.
If desired, callistemon can be grown from seeds, as this method is easy to carry out and has a short waiting time for sprouts. Seeds are sown shallow in the ground, as it is difficult for sprouts to break through a large ball of earth. After planting the seeds, it is necessary to cover the container with glass or wrap it with cling film to create a greenhouse effect.
The vessel must be left in a warm, well-lit place. It will be nice if the sun’s rays fall on the soil with seeds for a small part of the day. Sprouts need to be watered 2 times a day. It is best to propagate by seeds from March to August. After planting in the first pot, the plant needs at least 6 months to take root well and gain strength. After this period, the bush can be transplanted into open ground or a new pot, if there is a desire to grow callistemon in a room.