General Description:

There is ongoing controversy about whether Melaleuca or Callistemon should be used for the bottlebrush species – see footnote box. Some herbaria have now adopted the name Melaleuca pearsonii for this species, however, this reclassification has not been adopted in the Australian Plant Census (which is accepted by ANPSA as the authority on Australian Plant nomenclature).

Callistemon pearsonii is a small, bushy shrub from about 1-2 metres high by 1-2 metres wide. Leaves are linear to narrowly elliptical in shape about 30 mm long and 5 mm wide. The flowers occur in short, bottlebrush spikes at the ends of branchlets.  The are deep-red with yellow tipped stamens. Flowering occurs in spring.

Callistemon pearsonii is becoming well known in cultivation through the dwarf form known as ‘Rocky Rambler’.  This cultivar grows to about half a metre high and wide with well-displayed, bright red brushes. It is a hardy and adaptable garden plant in sub-tropical and temperate climates. Like most callistemons, it prefers a sunny position in the garden and can tolerate less than perfect drainage but best performance will be obtained in gardens with reasonable drainage and regular availability of water. Callistemons respond to well to annual fertilising after flowering and are not as sensitive as some other Australian plants to phosphorus. Once established, the plant will tolerate extended dry periods at at least moderate frost.

Propagation is easy from both seed and cuttings although the cultivar ‘Rocky Rambler’ must be grown from cuttings to produce plants true to the cultivar’s growrth habit and flowers.