On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 16:15:07 +0000 (UTC), GR
wrote:

I don't know how old it was when we bought it, but we had snow last
winter (we live in Essex, and snow is a rarity) and the tips of the
stems seemed to suffer.

Ah, that's why no flowers then. Oddly, some gardening books (written
by 'gurus' who ought to know better than copy and recycle old and
erroneous advice) cite this as one of the most reliable and hardy of
the Callistemons. They are utterly wrong and probably confusing it
with toughies such as those derived from C. rigidus and C. linearis.
The flower buds, which can be rather small in winter, are prone to
frost damage and easily destroyed. The plant will survive, but rarely
flower in frosty areas unless given some protection during very cold
weather. Draping a couple of layers of fleece over the plant during
such periods is effective and the rewards of those vivid flowers are
surely worth the small amount of effort. Good luck with yours.


Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November
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