Pink Powder Puff Tree
Latin Name: Calliandra haematocephala
Price range: $24.95 through $29.95
- Pot Size: 1 Gallon, 3 Gallon (Local Pickup Only)
- Hardiness Zone: Zone 9, Zone 10, Zone 11
Calliandra haematocephala grows as a wide, well-branched evergreen shrub. Left alone, it can reach small-tree size, but it also shapes well into a tall hedge. The leaves split into many tiny leaflets, so the plant has a soft, fern-like look. New leaves open coppery pink, then age to glossy dark green. The flowers are the real draw: red buds shaped like small raspberries swell and burst open into round heads packed with long, silky stamens, like a soft powder puff. Those crowded stamens, not petals, pull in the nectar-feeders. The plant comes from Bolivia and keeps the warm-weather habits of a tropical shrub.
Plant Details
Quick Information
- Latin Name: Calliandra haematocephala
- Plant Family: Fabaceae
- Common Names: Red Powderpuff, Red Powder Puff, Pink Powderpuff Tree
- Origin / Native Range: Bolivia (South America)
- Mature Height × Width: 10–15 ft × 8–15 ft
- Exposure Requirements: Full Sun
- Irrigation Requirements: Low to Moderate
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 9–11
- Cold Hardiness: 25°F–30°F
- Bloom Time: Mainly Fall and Winter, with scattered bloom year-round
- Bloom Color: Red
General Information
Red powderpuff grows as an open, wide-branching shrub. Left to itself, it can rise into a small tree. It can also be clipped into a dense flowering hedge. Each leaf is bipinnate, which means it divides into a few side branches, and each branch carries many small paired leaflets. The result is a soft, fern-like texture. New leaves open coppery pink and deepen to glossy dark green as they harden, so a plant in active growth often shows both colors at once. The flowers start as tight, round buds that look like small red raspberries. Each bud opens into a domed head up to three inches across. What looks like the flower is really a dense cluster of long, thread-like stamens, the parts that carry pollen, with the true petals reduced and hidden at the base.
This is a tropical plant at heart. It comes from the seasonally dry forests of Bolivia, and that background shapes how it grows. It wants warmth, full sun for the best bloom, and soil that drains freely. Once its roots take hold, it handles dry spells well, though it flowers more freely with steady water in the growing season. Cold is its main limit. Frost burns the leaves, and a hard freeze can kill the top of the plant. In Zone 9, though, an established shrub usually resprouts from the base in spring. It also has little tolerance for salt, so it is a poor choice near the coast. Where winters stay mild, gardeners grow it as a flowering screen, a clipped hedge, a patio tree, or an espalier trained flat on a warm wall. The nectar-rich flower heads draw hummingbirds and butterflies.
The name Calliandra comes from Greek words for beautiful and stamen, a fitting label for a flower that trades wide petals for a burst of colored stamens. Many bird-pollinated plants use this same design to brush pollen onto visitors as they probe for nectar. The species name haematocephala means blood-red head, a nod to the flower clusters. As a member of the legume family, it follows bloom with flat, dry pods that ripen brown and stay easy to overlook next to the flowers. Beyond the red-flowered type, growers also offer pink and white forms, as well as a naturally compact selection, ‘Nana’, that stays near five feet with little pruning. In Florida, where it is widely planted, it has not spread into wild areas and is not considered a problem species.
General Planting & Cultivation Information
Even drought-tolerant plants require regular watering until they are well established, good drainage is essential. If planting in containers, avoid pots without drainage holes.
Irrigate by watering deeply and then allowing the top several inches of soil to dry between waterings. This encourages the plant to send roots deep into the earth in search of moisture, helping it to become established, prevent root rot, build drought tolerance, and resilience to wind, heat, and cold.
The length of time between waterings will vary depending on your growing conditions and environment. Use a moisture meter for precise irrigation.
When planting, set the plant at the same depth as it was in its current container. For trees, ensure the top of the root flare is at soil level.
Young plants are vulnerable to harsh conditions, so consider growing them in larger containers until mature.
When planting in the ground, research the optimal planting season for your climate zone and protect young plants from frost.
To support establishment, consider creating a microclimate with nurse plants, shade, or wind protection. This can reduce stress, conserve soil moisture, and increase long-term success.
Protect the small, immature plants from rabbits and deer.
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