Thanks for the reply. Wholesale isn't a problem, as I am working with my landscaper. I've seen the shot at MBN. But let me ask you this: does that bottlebrush at Monterey Bay look purple to you? The plant I see when I drive by it twice a week is dark purple, none of that mauvey pink wannabe ersatz purple.

Hi I have 3 planted and plan to plant 50 more. I paid $4.99 each and bought them from a wonderful e-bay seller by the name of Donovan. He sells more than one type and is very knowledgeable. I have bought several from him as well as tons of other things and everything arrives healthy and thrives. But they are starter plants about 6-12" tall. But one that I bought and planted April 2011 is now 4' tall! WellSpring Gardens - store name and wellspring100 - seller id The hummers and butterflies adore them. I do know that there are all kinds just as Renee said. Rena'

Great article. It's great to see so many Callistemon species come through some relatively cold winters. From searching the web, I found that Callistemon subulatus usually went to one meter, and this goes for Australian sites talking about native flora. Still, flowers and leaves look very close, and although the top of my plant (bottom of hummingbird feeder) is above 7', I think that had a lot to do with my pruning efforts. Here is a pic I just took of that Callistemon. Should show how much of the stamens have emerged since Sunday (similar angle above). Just a little heat goes a long way. Also, this is my cell phone, since my camera is in Bellevue, so excuse the poor quality.

Yes, Callistemon (note spelling), or bottlebrush. Foliage matches also.