Bottle Brush (Callistemon citrinus)

Question from Bob:
I have another question for you: can you identify the striking bush in the attached photo?

Answer from Pat:
The plant in the photograph is weeping bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis), a shrub or tree native to Australia. Bottlebrushes are common landscape plants in the frost-free, coastal climate zones of California. There are several species, the one most commonly grown is lemon bottlebrush (C. citrinus), which holds its flowers upright instead of weeping as shown in your photo. Bottlebrushes have many virtues. They are very colorful and they flower several times a year in waves of bloom. They are tolerant of poor soil, easy-to-grow, drought-resistant once established, and attractive to birds to hummingbirds and many other birds. Mockingbirds love to nest in them. They also come in many named varieties and selections and a wide range of sizes from small to large shrubs and small to medium-sized trees. They grow well on banks and help to hold the soil and need little pruning. Many of the shrubs make colorful screening plants. Some make good hedges. The only detriment I can think of is that they are a bit messy if used as a street tree. I personally love this plant.