Lemon Bottlebrush Garden

Description

The Lemon Bottlebrush garden brings attention to a wide range of water conserving plant species that come from Australia and South Africa. For this palette, the Lemon bottlebrush is the signature tree that easily combines with many good companion plants such as Little John bottlebrush, Kangaroo paws, and Pink melaleuca that also come from Australia. The Medicinal aloe, Coral aloe and Blue fingers come from South Africa and diversify this palette with their bold colors and succulent character. This list includes many plants that are well sized to fit residential scale garden spaces and that grow with low maintenance needs.

Plant List

Trees

Lemon bottlebrush

Botanical Name: Callistemon citrinus
Plant Type: Tree
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 15 ft. - 25 ft. Width: 15 ft. - 20 ft.

Shrubs

Australian tea tree + cvs

Botanical Name: Leptospermum laevigatum
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 15 ft. - 25 ft. Width: 15 ft. - 25 ft.

Blue hibiscus + cv

Botanical Name: Alyogyne huegelii
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 6 ft. - 10 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 10 ft.

Coast rosemary

Botanical Name: Westringia fruticosa
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 4 ft. - 6 ft. Width: 5 ft. - 8 ft.

Dwarf bottlebrush

Botanical Name: Callistemon 'Little John'
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 4 ft. - 5 ft. Width: 10 ft.

Lantana + cvs

Botanical Name: Lantana camara
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 4 ft. - 6 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 8 ft.

Noell’s Grevillea

Botanical Name: Grevillea 'Noellii'
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 3 ft. - 4 ft. Width: 4 ft. - 5 ft.

Pink melaleuca

Botanical Name: Melaleuca nesophila
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 10 ft. - 18 in. Width: 15 ft. - 20 ft.

Purple hopseed bush

Botanical Name: Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea'
Plant Type: Shrub
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 12 ft. - 18 ft. Width: 6 ft. - 12 ft.

Perennials

Ground morning glory

Botanical Name: Convolvulus sabiatus
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 1 ft. - 2 ft. Width: 2 ft. - 3 ft.

Kangaroo paws + cvs

Botanical Name: Anigozanthos
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 8 in. - 3 ft. Width: 1 ft. - 3 ft.

Lilac verbena

Botanical Name: Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina'
Plant Type: Perennial, Native
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 2 ft. - 3 ft. Width: 2 ft. - 4 ft.

Purpletop vervain

Botanical Name: Verbena bonariensis
Plant Type: Perennial
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 3 ft. - 6 ft. Width: 3 ft.

Ground Covers and Vines

New Gold lantana

Botanical Name: Lantana x 'New Gold'
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 2 ft. Width: 6 ft.

Orange bulbine

Botanical Name: Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark'
Plant Type: Ground cover, Perennial
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 1 ft. - 2 ft. Width: 4 ft. - 5 ft.

Trailing lantana

Botanical Name: Lantana montevidensis
Plant Type: Shrub, Ground cover
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 12 in. - 18 in. Width: 5 ft. - 10 ft.

Succulents

Aloe vera

Botanical Name: Aloe vera
Plant Type: Aloe
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 18 in. - 24 in. Width: 3' then offsets to form a larger clump - 24 in.

Coral aloe

Botanical Name: Aloe striata
Plant Type: Aloe
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 12 in. - 24 in. Width: 12 in. - 24 in.

Golden toothed aloe

Botanical Name: Aloe x nobilis
Plant Type: Aloe
Water Needs: Low 2
Exposure: All day sun, Partial sun
Height: 24 in. - 30 in. Width: 3 ft. - 4 ft.

Horticultural Preferences

Plants included in the Lemon Bottlebrush palette are all adapted to sunny conditions, summer heat, winter cold, and low amounts of supplemental water during the summer. Some of the foliage plants will benefit from protection from hot afternoon summer sun while succulents respond to the sun with more intense foliage colors.

Aesthetic Character

The aesthetic character of the Lemon Bottlebrush Garden can become very intense and bold due to the coarse textures, hot colors and diverse shapes among the various plants. Both festive and dramatic planting combinations can be achieved for year around interest.

Moisture Needs

The chart shown below provides a baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed throughout the average year. The high and low range of this irrigation schedule indicates these plants can grow with varying amounts of water depending upon exposure conditions and maturity of plants. Rains during the winter months noted by an asterisk (*) can provide sufficient moisture to eliminate the need for winter irrigation.

Irrigation Schedule and Graph

Low Water Use Plants

Irrigation Schedule 2

	Jan*	Feb*	Mar*	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov*	Dec*
Runs per Month	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	1x to 2x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x
Inches per Run	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"

Inches per Month	0" to 2"	0" to 2"	0" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	1" to 2"	0" to 2"	0" to 2"

Range of supplemental summer water: 7"-14"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-10"

0"-2"

1"-2"

0"-2"

Jan*

Feb*

Mar*

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov*

Dec*

For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, follow this link.

For information how to calculate your irrigation system’s schedule and precipitation rate, please follow this link.