Species
Melaleuca citrina
Common Name(s)
common red bottle brush, crimson bottle brush, lemon bottlebrush, honey myrtle
Authority
Melaleuca citrina (Curtis) Dum. Cours.
Family
Myrtaceae
Brief Description
Erect much-branched shrub to 5 m or more. Flowers in dense red/crimson 'bottlebrush' heads. Crushed leaves lemon scented (hence the common name 'lemon bottlebrush')
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
Synonyms
Callistemon citrinus
Similar Taxa
Melaleuca rigida has shorter, narrower more coriaceous leaves; its persistent capsules are more woody and dense than in M. citrina.
Flower Colours
Red / Pink
Fruiting
Hard persistent capsules
Propagation Technique
Seed
Year Naturalised
1975
Origin
Australia
Reason for Introduction
Ornamental. Very widely grown in NZ but few confirmed records of it self-establishing
This page last updated on 10 Jul 2016