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Products > Calothamnus quadrifidus 'Seaside'
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[2nd Image]
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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Myrtaceae (Myrtles) |
| Origin: Australia (Australasia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Red |
| Bloomtime: Winter/Summer |
| Synonyms: [Melaleuca quadrifida, C. villosus, Hort.] |
| Height: 4-8 feet |
| Width: 6-8 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Seaside: Yes |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Calothamnus quadrifidus 'Seaside' (Seaside One-sided Bottlebrush) - Medium-sized shrub to 5-7 feet tall with soft hairy pine-needle-like leaves and bright red flowers, which are actually bundles of four stamens known as staminal claws, from late winter to summer with sporadic bloom on to late fall. The flowers are borne on one side of stem that was the previous year's new growth. Plant in full to partial sun and water infrequently. Tolerant of hot dry conditions, most any well-drained soil, coastal conditions (back from salt spray zone) and medium frost - listed hardy to 16 F. Good as a low screen. Foliage is great in flower arrangements and flowers attracts nectar feeding birds to the garden. We have grown this plant since 2006 as Calothamnus villosus, a plant restricted to southern Western Australia, but true Calothamnus villosus, has 5 stamens in bundles and this plant has 4 merous staminal bungles so it has been determined to be a nice gray leafed form of Calothamnus quadrifidus, a species that has a wider distribution through much of west Western Australia. The confusion between these species has long been noted in the literature. The name for the genus comes from the Greek word 'kalos' which means "beautiful" and 'thamnos' which means "a shrub" and the specific epithet means "divided into four parts" in reference to the staminal bundles. This cultivar was originally grown from seed by Jo O'Connell at Australian Native Plant Nursery and so not to not confuse it with other forms of Calothamnus quadrifidus, she named it Calothamnus quadrifidus 'Seaside'. We find this fitting as Seaside Gardens in Carpinteria was the location from which we first took cuttings of this plant. Adding additional confusion to this name is the reclassification of the genus Calothamnus to Melaleuca in 2014, which technically makes this plant a selection of Melaleuca quadrifida. For now we have left this plant in the genus we are more familiar with so not to confuse our customers and staff.
This information about Calothamnus quadrifidus 'Seaside' displayed is based on research conducted in our library and from reliable online resources. We will also note observations that we have made about it as it grows in the gardens in our nursery and those elsewhere, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others, and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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