Baja fairy duster

Calliandra californica

Description

The Baja fairy duster is a small mounding shrub with a twiggy branching habit that grows to 3-4 ft. tall and 4-5 ft. wide. Its tiny medium green leaves grow to 1 in. long and are divided into many leaflets; numerous showy red to rose colored flowers cover the plant after winter rains in the spring and again with summer irrigation.

Baja fairy duster is native to sandy washes, plains and hillsides in the cape region of Baja California. It is best adapted to hot and sunny exposure conditions in the Inland Empire and on well-draining soils. It combines well with other California natives in southwestern style gardens and becomes a striking accent plant during its flowering cycle.

Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Upright, Open, Low-branching
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Medium green
Flower Color: Red
Flower Season: Summer, Spring, Fall
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Sand, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Wind, Heat, Frost, Drought, Aridity, All day sun
Function: Small spaces, Wildlife value, Hummingbird plant, Flowering accent plant, Background plant, Attracts butterflies
Height: 3 ft. – 5 ft.
Width: 4 ft. – 6 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.