Getting To Know The Plants Around You

I thought I'd start doing a series on plants because I don't know much about plants but would like to.  We have some beautiful trees, flowers, and bushes in Southern California that dazzle the senses.  Nature is awesome, and it's a shame many of us are so removed from the Earth in our daily lives. 

This is a Bottle Brush Tree.  There's a nice big one outside my living room window, and from my observations I have discovered that it's where the hummingbirds go to party.

The Bottle Brush Tree, or Callistemon, is native to Australia.  It prefers a warm, humid climate and is drought resistant.  It blooms from late winter to late summer.  They are quiet, peaceful trees—we have had no complaints about the one outside—and they're calming to look at.

The name comes from this kind of bottle brush, which is a common tool used by humans.