Baja Fairy Duster

Name: Baja Fairy Duster
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Calliandra californica

A graceful shrub with delicate foliage and red powderpuff flowers that draw butterflies and hummingbirds throughout the warm season.

Hardy in USDA zones 9-11 and best in the low desert; it holds foliage through mild winters but can defoliate below the mid-20s, recovering quickly.

AMWUA Notes

A moderate-water hummingbird favorite; blooms nearly year-round in Phoenix with occasional deep irrigation.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Water deeply every 10-14 days in summer for near-continuous red bloom; it is drought tolerant but flowers far more with periodic moisture.

✂️Pruning

Prune to shape and thin selectively in late winter, but avoid shearing; its airy, open branching and near year-round hummingbird flowers are lost when it is boxed.

🌱Fertilizing

Little fertilizer needed; a light spring feed is optional.

🛡️Pests

Essentially pest-free.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Nearly evergreen in mild low-desert winters, it may thin in cold snaps and blooms almost year-round in Phoenix, peaking from late spring through fall.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Rocky, well-drained desert soils; tolerates caliche and alkaline pH 7.5-8.5.

💧Drainage

Needs well-drained soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

Low feeder.

🌰Propagation

From scarified seed; semi-hardwood cuttings possible.

📐Spacing

5-6 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Non-aggressive roots; safe near hardscape and pools.

Placement Tips

•Give it a 6 ft footprint; its open habit works as an informal specimen or filler rather than a tight hedge.
•A magnet planted near patios, windows, or pools where hummingbird activity can be watched up close.
•Fine, low-litter foliage makes it comfortably pool-friendly.
•Site in full sun; in part shade it grows leggier and blooms less.