About Calliandra californica Benth.
Calliandra californica, commonly called the Baja fairy duster, is an evergreen woody shrub native to Baja California, Mexico. It has several Spanish common names: tabardillo, zapotillo, and chuparosa. This shrub typically grows 0.6 to 1.8 meters (2 feet 0 inches to 5 feet 11 inches) tall. It has bipinnate leaves that are often described as fern-like, and the leaves close up during the night. Its flowers bloom in early summer, and consist of clusters of red stamens. Calliandra californica can tolerate cold temperatures down to 22 °F (−6 °C), and its roots can survive temperatures as low as 5 °F (−15 °C). It grows best in full sun, and is very drought tolerant, requiring only 10 inches (250 mm) of water annually. Additional watering will encourage the shrub to bloom through the summer and a second time in the fall. The plant can be propagated via acid scarification of seeds or vegetative cuttings. Its ripe seed pods look like snow peas; the pods are flat, about 2 inches (51 mm) long, and explode when they reach maturity. After ejecting their seeds, the curled open pods stay attached to the plant for some time. Calliandra californica attracts both bees and hummingbirds. Like many other legumes and leadworts (Plumbago), it is a host plant for the caterpillar of the Marine Blue butterfly (Leptotes marina). In landscaping, it is recommended for use in borders, foreground plantings, as an island accent, or grown in containers.
