Baja Fairy Duster

11 years ago

My Baja Fairy Duster (Calliandra californica) has been pumping out the most amazing blooms and the hummers love them!
I got this from Almost Eden this spring and thought I had killed it when I shook off the potting mix it was growing in (it was potbound) and repotted in the 5:1:1 mix. It sulked for a few months but recovered and is doing great.
The hard part will be keeping it alive over the winter since it's evergreen. :)

-Robert

This post was edited by robert1971 on Sun, Sep 21, 14 at 13:59

Featured Answer

gyr_falcon

9 years ago

In their native range, these plants are used to growing in nutrient deficient soil, so I would not fertilize. They can be pruned using hand pruners; a light staggered prune is probably best if you do. In some years, and locations, established plants have come back from roots after an unusually hard freeze--but it probably took some time to regain form. It is difficult to make specific pruning recommendations without seeing a photo of the plant in question. These plants often look a bit scraggly to me--maybe due to the small size of the foliage vs. stems. I have not seen many that were happy enough to be very bushy, even though they produced plenty of flowers.

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Comments (8)

Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
Original Author
11 years ago
Close up of the bloom.
gyr_falcon
11 years ago
Nice close-up. This should be a popular plant with the birds. Do you ever see migrating warblers visiting it? Not being a member of the pink appreciation party, I prefer the look of the red species to the more common color. These have never made their way into my garden though. Too many other flowers of the same style already live here--bottlebrush, Metrosideros 'Springfire', and two different variegated M. excelsa cultivars. Good luck with your "puff"!
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Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks! I've never seen any warblers on it yet, just happy hummers. :)

I too love its brilliant red color.

Sounds like you've got lots to keep your babies happy!

-Robert
snycal
10 years ago
how did it do after your winter? I am in love with mine but started just after a frost and have been enjoying it all summer. We do have frost and all my reading says it 'can' survive short burst of frost throughout winter.
Robert (zone 7a, Oklahoma)
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Mine over wintered nicely inside in a pot under T5 lights. It's now at least 50 inches across still in a larger pot so I'll have to trim it before bringing it down into the basement during the winter.

Right now it seems the bees like it more than the hummers.

I also bought a red Calliandra emarginata from Zone 9 Tropicals. The hummers have been enjoying it as well however right now once again the bees are the main visitors. :)

I hope your calliandra survives the winter!
snycal
10 years ago
Oooohh i love that one too! I am going to need to get me one and try it. Thanks!

I did buy four hybrid pink fairy dusters and I am not impressed. The pink is so light colored the hummingbirds ignore it and as as far as I can tell so do the bees. I must say though they seem hardier drought wise. They seem to come back from the dead, seriously. I had one that was gone for over a month and no water because I asummed it really was dead. We had a mini heat wave of three weeks and it popped back up from the roots when it cooled a little (still no water). So maybe I need to over look the color.

Beautiful pictures thank you.

Lisa
Kathy Anderson
9 years ago
I just moved to Arizona and have one of these in the front of our house; fun hot sun. I paid someone to come trim and weed and they really hack up this bush. It wasn't pretty before this either. It's very scrawny and doesn't look bushy. Can I fertilize or trim it up better to help the little plant. It's about 3 feet high.