Pronounced (kali-stemen  see-beri)
Fast Facts:

• commonly known as 'bottlebrush'
• growth maxes out at approximately 6' x 6'
• drought, wind, salt tolerant
• disease, pest, and deer resistant

A shop favorite, the Callistemon sieberi 'sugar candy' is a durable evergreen shrub that is a superbly low maintenance choice for the home gardener. It will reward your landscape with beautiful magenta blossoms up to 6" long in spring, and sometimes fall. Loves full sun, can tolerate light shade, and will grow in well, moderate, and poorly draining soils. A true champion of numerous harsh conditions, plant Callistemon in a challenging area of your yard where other specimens may not fair quite as well. Responds well to moderate pruning, tolerates a light frost, and will attract pollinators to your garden. Plant as a hedge or part of a hedge row for privacy, in a container, as a windbreak, or anywhere you like to appreciate the foliage and that habitat this shrub provides. 

Pronounced (schef-lera el-e-gan-tiss-i-ma)
Fast facts:

• Schefflera genus is comprised of tropical evergreen shrubs and small trees and known colloquially as 'umbrella trees'
• Schefflera elegantissima has also been categorized as 'Plerandra elegantissima' or 'Dizygotheca elegantissima', and it seems all genus names may be used interchangeably
• Common name is 'false aralia' or 'spider aralia'
• Native to New Caledonia and hardy zones 10-12

With eye-catching foliage, Schefflera elegantissima has easily become a shop favorite. Though there are no cultivars or varieties of this species rather, foliage will differ depending on maturity of the plant. Juvenile plants will have more textured leaves while adult specimen with have deeper lobes, a mature specimen is pictured above. In your home, false aralia's will prefer bright and indirect light, and prefer to have some air circulation, as well as good drainage in their planting mediums. It likes to be moist but not soggy, so a blend of perlite and peat moss can make a good baseline for planting, ensuring humidity will also help to ensure a happy houseplant. Leaf drop will occur with these plants if they are not receiving frequent enough waterings, so be sure the soil does not dry too much in between waterings. These plants are not pest tolerant, and it is important to check in with them frequently, especially in winter, to catch an infestation early. Feeding needs are on the lighter side, and the false aralia can be fed with a gentle fertilizer 1-3 times during the planting season. Though slow growing, these houseplants will reach 5-8 feet in height with maturity. 

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