About Callistemon viminalis subsp. viminalis
Melaleuca viminalis (also widely known as Callistemon viminalis subsp. viminalis in horticulture) is a large shrub or small tree that reaches up to 10 meters (30 feet) in height. It typically has multiple trunks, hard fibrous furrowed bark, and usually pendulous branches. Its leaves are arranged alternately, measuring 25–138 mm (1–5 inches) long and 3–27 mm (0.1–1 inch) wide. The leaves are more or less flat, shaped from very narrow elliptical to narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end at the base, and taper to a sharp point at the tip. Each leaf has a mid-vein, 9 to 27 lateral veins, and a large number of clearly visible oil glands. The flowers are bright red, arranged in spikes on and around branch ends; the branches continue growing after flowering. The flower spikes are 35–50 mm (1–2 inches) in diameter and 40–100 mm (2–4 inches) long, holding 15 to 50 individual flowers. The petals are 3.4–5.9 mm (0.1–0.2 inches) long and drop off as the flower ages. Stamens are arranged in five bundles around each flower; the bundles are sometimes not clearly distinct, and each holds 9 to 14 stamens. Flowering occurs from September to December, and often occurs sporadically at other times of year. After flowering, the plant produces woody capsule fruits, which are 3.8–4.8 mm (0.1–0.2 inches) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 inches) in diameter. This melaleuca occurs naturally along eastern Queensland, from the Cape York Peninsula south to Moree and Grafton in New South Wales. One collection of the species was apparently made in Western Australia in 1991, but the Western Australian Herbarium classifies the species as alien to that state. It grows most commonly in and along watercourses, mostly in sandstone or granite landscapes. Plants of the World Online records M. viminalis as native to New South Wales and Queensland, and introduced to The Bahamas, the Balearic Islands, California, the Canary Islands, El Salvador, Florida, India, Kenya, Madeira and Tanzania. This species provides food for nectivores. Its adaptations that allow it to survive strong currents during floods let it slow floodwater flow and reduce erosion, which improves water quality in streams and rivers. The matted roots of this species also strengthen riverbank soil, further reducing erosion risk. It is a widely grown garden plant and street tree, most commonly known under the name Callistemon viminalis. The species is extremely adaptable in cultivation; it flowers best in full sun, but can tolerate shade with reduced flowering, and grows in most soil types. It works well as a screening plant and is suitable for street tree planting. It requires regular watering, but mature plants can survive drought. It is not frost hardy, and will be damaged or killed by salt spray. Many cultivars of this species have been developed under the Callistemon name. These include: 'Captain Cook', a dwarf compact shrub growing 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in – 6 ft 7 in) high; 'Dawson River Weeper', a fast-growing rounded shrub up to 5 m (16 ft) high and wide with an exceptionally weeping habit; 'Hannah Ray', a shrub reaching 4 m (13 ft) tall and 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wide with scarlet flower spikes; 'Hen Camp Creek', a shrub 3–4 m (9.8–13.1 ft) high and 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wide; 'Prolific', a small fast-growing tree 4–6 m (13–20 ft) high and 4 m (13 ft) wide; 'Rose Opal', a compact dense shrub 1.5–1.8 m (4 ft 11 in – 5 ft 11 in) high; and 'Wild River', a semi-weeping form 4 m (13 ft) high and 2 m (6 ft 7 in) wide.
