Campus Greenery – Callistemon viminalis (串錢柳)

Callistemon viminalis, also named Tall Bottle-brush, is native to Australia. It is a small evergreen tree with 2 to 5-meter tall. Its bark is longitudinal-cracked but not easy to peel off. Branches are soft and long. Leaves are alternate and linear without a stalk. Flowers appear from March to May and fruits are produced in August.

Tall Bottle-brush gets its name because its flowers hang down on the branches and resemble bottle brushes. It is an ornamental plant which is usually cultivated in parks and gardens. The upper and lower surfaces of the leaf are so similar which is difficult to distinguish.