By Khanom
Lancashire,
United Kingdom 
Hi
I recently brough a bottlebrush plant and left it outside the door where it was protected from wind, but after the december snow the leaves have lost its colour and have black specks all over the leaves and the bark of the tree seems to have come away from branches. I absolutely love this plant and am terrified that it may be damaged beyound repair. I did put a fleece on it during the snow but I dont think it was thick enough. Can someone please tell if they there are any chance of the plant recovering. I have pruned it right back so its just bare brances know.
Thank you very much
On plant
Callistemons
27 Jan, 2011
Answers
Assuming the roots are still OK Callistemon are capable of regrowing from the base, but you will have to wait to see if and from where it sprouts again.
Don't be too hasty to write it off though, after a winter like this last one they can delay regrowth until well into summer. Any branches on which the bark has completely separated from the wood will most definitely be dead - it's the bark, not the wood that carries the sap around the plant.
27 Jan, 2011
Would have been better not to prune it at all at this time of year - because you have, is it possible to move it somewhere frost free until end of May, somewhere with plenty of light but no, or very little, heat? If its not dead already, then your pruning means the poor thing will try to grow and if it does, any new growth will be nipped by the cold. Unless, that is, everything you cut off was brown and obviously dead anyway.
27 Jan, 2011