Callistemon citrinus (common red bottlebrush, "Hanamaki")

Japanese name: ハナマキ （花槇）
Scientific name: Callistemon citrinus

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub or small tree about 3–5 m tall, sometimes reaching 7.5 m.
Young branches are usually covered with soft silky hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, about 2.5–10 cm long and 0.5–2.5 cm wide.
The leaves are thick and leathery, with distinct midribs and lateral veins, and oil glands are also visible.
Young leaves are tinged with brown.
A lemon-like scent is released when the leaves are damaged.
It flowers mainly in spring and autumn.
Cylindrical spikes about 6–10 cm long emerge at the branch tips, densely bearing many small 5-petaled flowers.
The petals and sepals fall after flowering, and the long stamens stand out.
The stamens are bright red.
The branch beyond the inflorescence keeps growing after flowering and bears leaves.
The fruit is a woody capsule, cup-shaped and about 0.7 cm across, clustered cylindrically along the stem.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings, but plants grown from seed take a long time to flower and may differ in appearance from the parent plant.
As long as the soil is sunny and well drained, it is not particular about soil type.
If the light is poor, it flowers poorly.
Also avoid places exposed to dry winter winds.
For plants less than 2 years after planting, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for established plants, rainfall is sufficient.
Apply organic fertilizer around the plant as fertilizer in winter.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

View this page in Japanese (日本語)