Australia

This is one of the hardier of the larger Grevilleas handling temps down to 10F and being quite drought tolerant. A good drying off in late summer and fall and grown in lean soil will add to its hardiness. Flowers for months in the yellow to salmon range. This was grown at Heronswood as miqueliana but Ian Barclay sleuthed the subspecies. As with all Protea family members, don't fertilize with any fertilizer except low phosphorous but you don't need to really fertilize this anyway unless it is looking hungry which is unlikely.

Quite the distinctive Grevillea being a true groundcover growing very flat to the ground. The oak-like leaves are bronze when young and mature to a dark green both colors providing a fine backdrop for the large feathery combs of red flowers. This is likely not hardy below the low 20's but is grown successfully at the Barca garden on Whidbey Island in a raised bed against a south facing wall and also is luxuriant at the Miller Botanic Garden in Seattle where it flows down a slope and where curator Richie Steffen gave us our cuttings. Sun and good drainage and low phosphorous if you do fertilize. At least this is easy to cover being flat in the event of a severe cold snap!

Bottlebrush. Fun and very hardy selection that has willowy and twisting branchlets sporting 2" light yellow flower brushes on the branch tips all pointing willy-nilly for a wild Medusal effect. Length of bloom is longer on older plants so it is true that some things get better with age. I feel that way about Sue and another month o the diet, she'll feel the same about me.. Happy in nearly any soil and happiest with regular water. Not deer fodder.

This clone of an already hardy bottlebrush species has been hardier than the typical offering by a few degrees and personally, our most grievous losses have been by a few degrees. This is likely from a higher and more exposed location in Tasmania as it is also more compact than typical and has handled one winter where it went into single digits. This is the PNW so that sort of thing doesn't last long but still, pretty damned good. Cream flowers and bark that gets white and corky with age and hey, the deer don't like it! Thanks to Ian at Desert Northwest for sharing this one.

One of the hardiest Bottlebrushes to 10F with the added benefit of having red flowers. In growth, this this tends to have graceful arching branches which softens what can sometimes be a rigid look to Callistemon. Not that that is a bad thing but this looks a bit more cuddly. This grows on stream banks in Australia and can take quite wet spots but is also tolerant of dry. Deer proof!

The Tree Lomatia from Australia. As the name implies, this can get large - up to 20' or so. Here in the PNW, this will likely be a large shrub, getting taller as you move down the west coast. Bewildering array of leaf shapes within the species, this is but one form. White, scented flowers in summer.

Bottlebrush. Perhaps the hardiest clone enduring single digits with scarcely a whimper. (It may be whimpering but my own wails of despair drown all else out). Evergreen picking up russet tones in winter. Summer fuzzy red flowers on the stems. Deer Proof/drought tolerant.

Perfect fine texture with a silver sheen all year long. This is a gorgeous evergreen that further delights in the summer with small white flowers. Pinch it if you want it bushy and don't treat it too nice - it prefers a leaner soil that drains well. Tolerant of dry when established and likes full sun.