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Fabaceae
Fairy Duster
Calliandra eriophylla
Delicate power.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Calliandra
- Native to
- Southwestern United States, Mexico
- Bloom season
- Spring, Fall
- Type
- deciduous shrub
- Height
- 1-4 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- well-drained, rocky, sandy
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 8-11
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The showy puff-like flowers are not petals but clusters of long, colorful stamens that give the appearance of a powder puff or duster.
- The genus name Calliandra comes from Greek words meaning 'beautiful stamens.'
- Fairy duster is a nitrogen-fixing legume that enriches desert soils, benefiting neighboring plants.
- Hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees are intensely attracted to the nectar-rich blooms.
- The tiny bipinnate leaves fold closed at night or during drought, a movement known as nyctinasty.
Color meanings
0
gentle strength
1
desert beauty