Callistemon 'Woodlander's Red' is supposed to be hardy throughout zone 7 so I'd think it would be fine if it's well established in the ground and has decent drainage. I've never seen a species assigned to it though and thought it was a garden hybrid. I've got Callistemon citrinus in the ground here in Durham, zone 7a, although that one's only rated hardy through zone 8. I've had it for several years and though it burned some last winter at 7 degrees, it came through better than the hardy oleander. I haven't tried the Cordyline outside during winter.

Don't have 'Woodlanders Red', but do grow 'Woodlanders Hardy', also a red flowering one. Has survived in near 0°F temperatures and remained evergreen. I moved it this past spring, to a full sun area to promote better flower production. Will see if that works!

Don't grow Cordyline 'Red Star', but a number of gardeners in my Zone do. It is promoted as hardy to 5°F and to remain evergreen, if located in a sheltered, SW location.
The location that I would like to plant a few, is in my "Arctic" microclimate zone and I'm sure they wouldn't survive there!
The only suitable location that I have, is presently occupied with a large colony of Georgia Asters and those are maintained for a local hive of European Honeybees, which descend upon them in hordes during the fall! I couldn't think of disturbing those.

I would treat them both as marginal in zone 7b. I have seen Bottlebrush make it and bloom for years and years. I'm not sure of the species or cultivar - but there are a few around Raleigh that seem to do ok. It also seems that every so often we have a winter that does them in. I dug mine up and now grow it in a pot so that I get more flowers. It seems happy with some winter protection.

A lot of the red cordylines are promoted as winter hardy but I think they just barely survive winter. Once they grow a trunk they can't take any hard freezes. I have other cordylines that have frozen back to the ground only to emerge with new growth the following spring so as a group plenty of them could be considered winter hardy - but surviving and thriving are two different things.

I lost my bottlebrush due to too much (normal) rainfall this year. It did fine during the drought in a SW facing location.
Lovely blooms I lusted for after seeing it grow so unattended in California.

Thanks so much for your input!

Sounds like the C. citrinus stands a good chance through our winters here (sorry to hear that you lost yours this year, Dottie). We had an amazing bottlebrush tree in my childhood home in FL -- probably 25 feet tall and covered in blooms for weeks at a time. I saw a few at the Pi Alpha Xi plant sale at the Raulston this past Spring, and I just had to try it out :) So, fingers crossed that we don't have any record low temps this year ... Is TriangleJohn the only person that has been successful in getting blooms?

My Cordyline has not trunked yet -- just planted in the Spring. Guess that it might be worth the risk this year as it is in SW location and fairly well-protected in a little nook of the front yard. I know what you mean about surviving vs. thriving though!

The bottlebrush that is at the JC Raulston arboretum is over head high and looks healthy (if its still there, I haven't looked for it recently). I have never seen it covered with blooms like these bushes do further south or out west.

I brought mine back from Oklahoma (where I have never seen them growing in the ground!) and it went down hill pretty fast after its first winter in the ground so I potted it up and drag it around with me now as a large potted plant. I blooms at least twice each year but even after all these years it isn't the showiest of plants. I think they prefer full blazing hot sun which I will have after I move but not now.

My Callistemon citrinus has bloomed for me but like John's, doesn't get enough sun. Even if it did, I doubt it would look like the ones in FL (I grew up there too so I know what you're talking about).

I'm curious to see what your Cordyline does. I'm not brave enough to try mine outdoors in the ground. Too much cold wind up here in my site. Even if it was hardy it probably wouldn't come up until July.

The bottlebrush is indeed still at the Raulston (as of last month :) and it is quite large, I agree. Mine gets full sun, so perhaps it will show some blooms next year. I guess that I need to ensure that it can withstand the winter here first since we don't have much of a wind block for it.

If I see some blooms next year, I will be sure to post. And I will see how my little Cordy's fare this winter too. Luckily I haven't gotten too attached yet as it is their first year, but we'll see ...

Incidentally, have you all had good experiences with Canna surviving the winter? Do they need to have "dry feet" in the winter in order to avoid rotting out? Me and my "tropical" plants ... I just can't leave Florida behind me!

Do you cut the bottle brush down to the ground before new growth or does it grow on old branches? I planted one last year and not sure how to care for it this spring.
thanks