In Love with Bottlebrush

Bottlebrush's latin name is Callistemon, meaning beautiful stamen. It's another Australia native shrub that we have besides Kangaroo Paws. We got this plant this year from a nearby wholesale nursery, J. Berry Nursery, during Highway 80 public sale event. After I finally got my hands dirty weeding its surroundings, I then notice how gorgeous the plant looks with its multiple blooms. The striking red stamens look like berries when breaking out from the green buds. When you look closer they look like small balls of twine. Very pretty! And the healthy, fat, fully opened blooms really do look like bottlebrushes. Love it! Learn more about this plant below the photos.








Bottlebrush plants has a potency as herbicide. Below is the excerpt, go to the link for the complete article.

The secret is out: brand image for Callisto Herbicide has long roots.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/85463038_1.html

"What do penicillin, microwave ovens and Callisto herbicide have in common? All were discovered by accident. The serendipitous finding that the Callistemon plant secretes a chemical that inhibits certain broadleaf weeds is the root of Callisto herbicide. It helped establish the brand, becoming the campaign's distinctive trail and winning the 2002 Best of Show for Syngenta, Greensboro, N.C., and its former agency, Bader Rutter & Associates, Brookfield, Wis.

UNIQUE CHEMISTRY

In the 1980s an astute Syngenta researcher noticed that certain weeds didn't appear to grow underneath the Callistemon plant, but they were prevalent beyond the bush's arc. Further investigation and testing led to the discovery of the active ingredient in Callisto, a member of the Callistemone class of chemistry. With its unique chemistry and broad level of activity for broadleaf weed control, Callisto offered a new mode of action to postemergence broadleaf weed control in corn. It also added an exciting new tool for weed resistance management.

Photographed in a field with weeds in the foreground, the Callistemon plant is centered, surrounded by dark, broadleaf weed-free soil."

And here's the link to the index of broadleaf weeds in case you wonder, from Aggie Turf (the turf website of Texas A&M University):

http://aggieturf.tamu.edu/aggieturf2/grasswee/broadlf.html