Bottlebrush

Set bottlebrush toward the back or middle of a deep bed, where its evergreen mass can frame lower shrubs and perennials without closing off circulation. Keep it far enough from doors, gates, and paths that its mature branches do not crowd everyday routes. A single plant can mark a sunny corner or soften the edge of a fence; repeated plants can form an informal screen when the bed has enough depth for their full spread. Give flowering branches clear sightlines from places you use most in late spring and summer.

Space plants 8 feet apart, center to center, for a connected planting with modest overlap as they mature. Each shrub can ultimately occupy about 10 feet of width, so allow the bed to extend well beyond the planting line instead of pressing plants against a wall or path. For a looser composition, increase the interval and leave access lanes where pruning or cleanup will be needed.

Reserve a full-sun position for bottlebrush, away from the shadow cast by buildings, evergreen trees, or taller shrubs. Its low water needs make it a sensible fit for sunny areas planned around restrained irrigation. Use the plant as part of a dry-leaning shrub zone rather than placing it where regularly watered plantings will dictate frequent moisture.

The evergreen canopy holds its place in the plan through the year, so account for its 10-foot spread even outside bloom. Late spring through summer is its showiest period, when red flowers add a focal point and hummingbird activity. Leave open viewing space around the outer face of the shrub rather than burying the flowering display behind taller seasonal plants.