Callistemon 'Captain Cook' – A Vibrant, Compact Bottlebrush with Stunning Red Flowers
Callistemon 'Captain Cook' is a striking, compact shrub known for its vivid red, bottlebrush-like flowers and attractive foliage. This Australian native is perfect for adding a splash of colour and texture to any garden or landscape, whether in a border, container, or as a specimen plant. Its bright blooms, dense green foliage, and low-maintenance nature make it a popular choice for both informal and more formal garden settings.
Seasonal Beauty & Growth
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Spring/Summer: The highlight of Callistemon 'Captain Cook' is its striking red flower spikes that appear from late spring through summer. These bottlebrush-shaped flowers are a magnet for pollinators, particularly bees and birds, making it a wonderful addition to any wildlife garden. The bright red blooms are long-lasting and create a stunning contrast against the shrub’s deep green, lance-shaped leaves.
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Autumn: In autumn, the foliage retains its rich green hue, but the flowering slows down. However, the plant continues to provide structure and interest with its compact growth habit and evergreen nature.
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Winter: Callistemon 'Captain Cook' maintains its foliage throughout the winter months, providing an evergreen backdrop in the landscape. The vibrant green leaves contrast beautifully with frosty or more subdued winter tones, offering year-round visual appeal.
Structure & Form
Callistemon 'Captain Cook' is a compact, bushy shrub, making it an excellent choice for smaller gardens, containers, or as part of a mixed border. It has a dense, rounded habit and features long, narrow leaves that are aromatic when crushed. The flowers, which resemble bottlebrushes, are arranged in dense clusters at the tips of the branches, creating a striking visual effect. Its relatively compact size makes it an ideal choice for smaller spaces or for creating vibrant hedges or low screens.
Ideal for Various Landscapes
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Small Gardens & Containers: Due to its compact size, 'Captain Cook' is perfect for smaller gardens or container planting. It brings bold colour and texture to patios, balconies, or garden borders.
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Wildlife Gardens: The vibrant red flowers are irresistible to pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and birds, particularly honey eaters. It’s an ideal addition to any wildlife-friendly garden.
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Mixed Borders & Hedges: Use Callistemon 'Captain Cook' to add vibrant colour to mixed borders or as part of a low-maintenance hedge. Its dense growth habit and bright blooms make it an attractive choice for a variety of garden styles.
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Coastal & Dry Gardens: Being native to Australia, 'Captain Cook' is well-suited to coastal and dry gardens, where it tolerates salt, drought, and poor soil conditions, making it a hardy choice for more challenging environments.
Growing Conditions & Care
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Position: Callistemon 'Captain Cook' thrives in full sun to partial shade. For the best flowering, a sunny position is ideal, as it allows the plant to develop a profusion of its distinctive red bottlebrush flowers.
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Soil: Prefers well-drained soil and is highly tolerant of a range of soil types, including sandy and rocky soils. It is also quite tolerant of drought once established, making it suitable for dry or coastal gardens.
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Hardiness: Fully hardy in temperate climates, Callistemon 'Captain Cook' can withstand a range of conditions, including moderate frost. It is also tolerant of salt, making it an excellent choice for coastal gardens or areas exposed to winds.
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Maintenance: 'Captain Cook' is a low-maintenance plant that requires little attention. It benefits from occasional pruning to remove spent flowers and maintain its compact shape. Light pruning after flowering helps to encourage dense growth and enhances its overall form. It is drought-tolerant once established, so does not require frequent watering, making it a perfect plant for low-maintenance gardens.
Why Choose Callistemon 'Captain Cook'?
With its striking red bottlebrush flowers, compact growth, and tolerance of various growing conditions, Callistemon 'Captain Cook' is a standout plant for any garden. Whether used in a border, container, or wildlife garden, it provides year-round interest with minimal care, making it an excellent choice for gardeners of all experience levels.
Perfect Plant Combinations
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Other Shrubs – Combine with Lavandula (Lavender) or Leptospermum (Tea Tree) for a combination of fragrant foliage and vibrant blooms, creating a beautiful, aromatic border.
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Perennials & Grasses – Underplant with Salvia, Echinacea, or Nepeta for added texture and colour throughout the season, and complement the shrub’s upright growth with mounding or cascading plants.
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Wildlife & Pollinator Plants – Pair with plants like Achillea (Yarrow) or Echinacea (Coneflower) to support pollinators, attracting bees, butterflies, and birds to your garden.
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Low Hedging & Borders – Combine with other compact shrubs like Buxus (Boxwood) or Cotoneaster for a low-maintenance, vibrant garden border or small hedge.
Callistemon 'Captain Cook' is a versatile, compact shrub that brings vibrant red flowers and a stunning bottlebrush appearance to any landscape. Its tolerance of a wide range of growing conditions, low-maintenance nature, and wildlife-friendly blooms make it a must-have for both beginner and experienced gardeners. Whether you're looking for an attractive addition to a small garden, a wildlife habitat, or a container plant, 'Captain Cook' will provide lasting beauty with minimal care.
Does the height include the pot?
No, we measure from the top of the pot to the tip of the plant except for some of the instant planted screens, in this case it will be stated in the description
How long does delivery take?
Most orders are delivered in just a few days, Smaller items are often sent with Parcelforce on a next day service, Larger items should allow up to 10 days due to the size of the items they often have to be sent on our own transport.
Where will you leave my plants?
We will leave your order at the front of your property, Parcelforce may
leave your items in a safe place if you let us know, Pallet couriers
will require a flat hard surface to deliver to, no gravel or soil, a
driveway or parking spot would be best. Most importantly Deliveries by
pallet courier will require access for a large truck (bin lorry sized)
to get near the delivery point. Deliveries sent on our own transport may come in a small van or larger truck.
