Australian bush flowers are so remarkable in their beauty, colours and shapes!

One of my favourites is Bottlebrush (Callistemon linearis), a common native tree that can grows up to 3 meters. It’s flowers turned into a natural flower essence are a great constipation and letting go remedy as suggested by their shape – they literally look like bottlebrushes we use in the kitchen!

The beautiful, brilliant red or dark pink flowers appear during spring and last for 2-3 weeks making the parks and gardens very beautiful and uplifting places indeed. I took the bottlebrush photos above during a morning walk on a beautiful sunny spring day.

The bottlebrush flowers are not only stunning to look at but they also have healing properties and are included in the Australian Bush Flowers Essences (ABFE) applied by natural medicine practitioners in Australia and elsewhere.

ABFE have also been used by the Australian Aborigines for thousands of years to bring about emotional balance and release negative feelings.

What are flower essences?

Flower essences are liquid plant preparations made directly from specially selected wild flowers. The remedies act on the energetic level in the body and are taken orally a few drops at a time, acting as a catalyst for positive inner transformation, enhancing emotional and psychological wellbeing.

The modern bush flower essences were developed by Ian White, a Sydney-based Naturopath and Homeopath. Clinical uses of bottlebrush bottlebrush remedy include:

Help move through major life changes

  • Move more easily through major life changes and enhances our ability to handle new situations better especially during adolescence, parenthood, pregnancy, divorce, menopause, retirement or death of a loved one, etc. It ‘brushes’ out the past and allows us to move on.

Help letting go of unhelpful habits and long-standing routines

  • If you have set ways of doing things such as always driving/ walking the same way to work, rarely change your hairstyle or type of clothes you wear, etc.

Aid bonding between a mother and her child

  • Especially during pregnancy and just after birth as well as later in life.
  • Heal unresolved mother issues. moving forward when feeling stuck

Help to ‘go with the flow’, let go of the old e.g. going through major life transitions:

  • Puberty
  • Motherhood
  • Perimenopause and menopause (a user friendly remedy in clinical practice!)
  • Retirement

For an integrative perimenopause and/or menopause support combining naturopathic remedies, evidence-informed methods, nutrition and lifestyle strategies, review our Menopause Knowledge Hub or contact me for a free 20-minute initial discussion or to arrange an online consultation.

The bottlebrush flower shape suggests its potential use according to the Doctrine of Signatures

This is an old herbal concept based on observation and experimentation where for thousands of years people have used a plant’s appearance to gauge its potential medicinal properties. A broad concept called the “doctrine of signatures” states that features of plants (shape, flower shape or texture, colour, smell etc) resemble, in some way, the condition or body part that the plant can potentially remedy. For example cut carrot resembles the eye hence it may help with better eyesight (carrot juice is generally known for its high beta-carotene content that can support better vision), beans look like miniature kidneys and when eaten may support these organs, etc. You can more read about this fascinating concept HERE.

Flower essences can help support your pets, too!

Try using flower essences on your pets as well and watch them improve – which suggest that the changes are not due to a placebo effect!

What are the benefits of Bottlebrush flower remedy?

I use this essence in clinical practice on a regular basis either on its own or in combinations, and find it helps with:

  • Constipation and overloaded liver – it promotes letting go and energy flow through the digestive tract especially the small and large intestines. For more traditional natural remedies for constipation and other digestive upsets, read our Digestive First Aid Guide covering fast relief methods for bloating, indigestion, reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
  • Individuals who can’t let go of things or emotions – e.g. people who are hoarders and those who bottle-up emotions resulting in high stress and overwhelm. It facilitates moving forward when feeling stuck in any area of your life or in the mind.
  • It aids in letting go of addictions of any type (in combination with other essences, as appropriate) including food, drugs and alcohol.

Discover more guides and articles on gut and microbiome health in the Gut Health and Microbiome Resources Hub →

Are Flower Essences Safe to Take?

The Australian Bush Flowers are safe to take and have no side effects. They are available for purchase in pharmacies, health food stores, online and likely from your Naturopath. Anyone can buy this or other remedies if you recognise the above patterns in yourself and would like to release them.

How to Use Bottlebrush Essence

  1. Dosage: take seven drops under the tongue upon waking and before sleep for up to our weeks, or until you feel a shift you’re looking for.
  2. How to make the remedy at home: buy the concentrated essence and place seven drops of the stock essence into a 25ml or 50ml dropper bottle (use 14 drops for the bigger size bottle) filled with a mixture of brandy (around 10%) and purified water (90%). Small amount of alcohol helps to preserve the remedy without the need to keep it in the fridge
  3. If you obtain a ready-to use essence, take seven drops under the tongue morning and evening
  4. For constipation, I also suggest rubbing the diluted essence (as per point #2) over the abdomen before sleep

Continue Exploring Herbal Medicines and Flower Essences

Discover more evidence-informed articles on medicinal herbs, their traditional uses and current scientific research in the Herbal Medicine Resources Hub →

Have you taken flower essences before? Comment below which essences have you used and why.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and learned something new about this less known constipation and letting go remedy, and natural remedies as well.

Best of Health
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Joanna Sochan
Wholistic Health and Lifestyle Therapist
Integrative health support combining clinical evidence, systems-based thinking and traditional naturopathic wisdom for lasting health and wellbeing

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Additional resources

Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen, particularly if you are taking prescription or over-the-counter medications or have a medical condition.

Joanna Sochan is a Natural Therapist and founder of Naturimedica Holistic Wellcare. She has a passion for helping her clients transform their lives by becoming healthy and well naturally. Joanna has over 15 years of clinical experience with special interest in gut health, sleep, circadian biology and women’s health (including perimenopause and menopause) helping her clients to regain their energy, sleep better and be happier, more relaxed and calm. Joanna currently practices online and conducts Zoom consultations with clients Australia-wide. View full bio.