Little John

Little John Care

Callistemon 'little John'

What is the plant

Melaleuca viminalis, commonly known as weeping bottlebrush, or creek bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. Melaleuca viminalis is a large shrub or small tree growing to 10 m (30 ft) tall with hard, fibrous, furrowed bark, a number of trunks and usually pendulous branches. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 25–138 mm (1–5 in) long, 3–27 mm (0.1–1 in) wide, more or less flat, very narrow elliptical to narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and the other end tapering to a sharp point.

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Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

min -6°C

Hardiness zone

8a - 11

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Little John dwarf Bottlebrush is drought resistant once established, but still needs good drainage to prevent root rot and other plant problems. Young plants and potted plants may require water once or twice per week, especially during the warmer months.
Pruning
Little pruning is required.
Fertilizer
While fertilizer isn't needed, adding slow-release fertilizer granules in the spring may encourage fuller growth in younger plants.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
Clay soil
Temperature
Plant in full sun to light shade. It is drought tolerant in coastal gardens but tolerates and performs best with some irrigation. Hardy to 20-25 degrees F and reportedly can rebound after defoliation in temperatures down into the teens.
Container
Find a clay pot or wood container made of cedar or redwood to hold your "Little John" shrub.

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Additional
For example, “Little John” (Callistemon citrinus “Little John”) is a dwarf cultivar of the bottlebrush and reaches a height of only 3 feet tall. Make sure not to confuse this bottlebrush shrub with the Buckeye bottlebrush (Aesculus parviflora), which is toxic to pets and grows in USDA zones 4 through 8.
Popularity
48 people already have this plant 7 people have added this plant to their wishlists