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Bottle brush tree

carollangdon22FnbWxOWcarollangdon22FnbWxOW Posts: 18
in Plants
My bottle brush tree leaves have went greyish with dark spots and beel brittle, is it dead or can I do something to save it

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  • carollangdon22FnbWxOWcarollangdon22FnbWxOW Posts: 18
    Yes it did get bad frost
  • carollangdon22FnbWxOWcarollangdon22FnbWxOW Posts: 18
    I Would really like advice on how to make it better . Thank you
  • clarke.bruntclarke.brunt Posts: 215
    edited March 2021
    I don't think there's anything you can actively do to change matters - those outer leaves look fairly dead - not sure whether the ones towards the centre of the plant have a bit more life in them? Either it will put out new shoots or it won't - you just have to wait and see. They are a plant which is happy to put out new shoots from anywhere - I've sometimes cut mine back into the old wood, and it sprouts. Once you know if new shoots emerge from somewhere, then you could cut off any dead stuff above them, but no point doing that until certain what's dead and what might be alive.

    Just thought: the state of the flower buds - e.g. in the last photo there are two stems heading upwards and to the left with a set of flower buds then a sprig of leaves at the end. The upper one almost looks like the flowers were about to open. I wouldn't expect that at this time of year - it's too early, and I'd expect them to still be dormant. How long have you had it? Just wondering if it was fresh from a garden centre with flowers about to open.
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Well spotted with the flower buds. If grown in the ground with at least one year, this shouldn't be happening. If you have only just bought this and planted out, it's possible the shrub is struggling with the cold weather at the moment.

    Sometimes, these plants are grown and kept in controlled surroundings with no wind or frost. This means the plants look in pristine condition for sale. Many are quite tender anyway, so it's important to plant them against a southerly wall. Also, there should be more preparation for the planting hole. The grass around the base will not help. You should dig away the grass and keep the soil free draining.
  • carollangdon22FnbWxOWcarollangdon22FnbWxOW Posts: 18
    I did buy the plant from Morrison’s garden center last year, it was tremendous in colour and beauty all through summer, I’ll be patient and hope for the best , it was so beautiful thank you for your advice, it’s very much appreciated .
  • carollangdon22FnbWxOWcarollangdon22FnbWxOW Posts: 18
    I will also update you on what happens to it, but I’m really hoping for the best 🌼
  • carollangdon22FnbWxOWcarollangdon22FnbWxOW Posts: 18
    Should I cut the damaged leaves and the spent flower stems from the tree
  • clarke.bruntclarke.brunt Posts: 215
    I think I'd wait and see if it puts out shoots, and from where, as we can't really tell which parts of the stems might still be alive. In the absence of frost-damage/dieback, the normal pattern would be that the flowered stems would come into growth again at the tip in spring, developing a new 'bottle-brush' of flowers with yet more leafy extension at the tip. Cutting back at this season would normally mean no flowers this year from those stems. Cutting back after flowering in early summer gives time for shoots to grow ready to flower the next year. On many plants, removing dead/damaged material is to satisfy our own wish that it looks 'nice', rather than being of benefit to the plant. People often suggest scraping the bark of stems (fingernail or something stronger) to see whether they're still alive inside - maybe it's my patience developed through growing cacti, but personally I don't need to know and would wait and see.

    I'm still a bit mystified by those 'flower bits' (as mentioned before, a couple of them top left in final photo). Too small on the photo to be certain, but they do look like flowers which were getting ready to open, rather than last year's ones, but the season is wrong for flowers to be opening. The woody seedpods after flowering persist and from a distance don't look much different to fresh flower buds.

    We're still assuming it was frost damage - they are fairly hardy, but with limits. I know from experience that you can get similar appearance (and dead stems) from them running out of water - very easy if grown in pots in summer, but not at all likely if planted in the ground. The tough wiry leaves look drought-resistant, but they're not. The soft new growth at least can wilt, but the old leaves just go from green/living to dead without a great change of appearance.
  • carollangdon22FnbWxOWcarollangdon22FnbWxOW Posts: 18
    Had to give up on my bottle brush tree , have replaced it with a well established camellia, should o put winter fleece around in in winter 🪴
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    Sorry to hear you replaced it. I assume it did not recover? Callistemon shrubs can be regularly cut back by harsh wind and cold. But with patience, they can come back as late as May/June. Either way, planting something established also means you must keep an eye on watering all through summer.

    Camellias requires neutral to acidic soil conditions and prefer some shade part of the day. You should also make sure it is planted with no grass around the roots like the Callistemon. Newly planted shrubs should not have competition for water whilst they try to establish.
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