PlantFiles: Red Powder Puff
Calliandra haematocephala

I live in Houston, TX, Zone 9, and bought this almost a year ago, maybe in the fall. It reminded me of a mimosa, and our neighbor had just cut his down. To him, it was invasive. To us, it was the great view out our dining window. The powder puff bush has grown at a rapid pace, and looks super healthy, but I have never, ever had a bloom. The tag on it when I bought it showed a pink flower, so I'm hoping it is pink, and said it was tropical. With our humidity, I thought it would thrive. Plus, I water regularly. Anyone have ideas as to why it hasn't bloomed yet, when the rest of my garden has been bursting with color since spring? It's in a sunny spot in front, so our dogs aren't eating the blooms.

Love it! Nearly every morning bees and wasps cover the playful-looking Powderpuffs bordering my front walkway, and they are covered with so many bees that the buzzing sound is distinctly audible.

There are several large shrubs/small trees about 12' and they bloom year round much to my delight. According to the notes of the previous owner of my property, the Powderpuffs are about 15-years-old.

Connie (Zone 10a)

Zone 9 - I LOVE my powder puff bushes. Mine grow happily receiving partial afternoon sun close to my house. They get rain runoff from the roof but other than natural rainwater, they are very drought tolerant. They bloom pretty much year round and bloom more heartily when they get rain. They require little or no care and have had no noticable pest issues in 4 years of growth.

I've this lovely tree as a container specimen. It needs winter protection here. Pot culture keep the tree relatively small for the past 2 years.

Hubby & I went to Butterfly World this last weekend & it was consistently frequented by colorful finches & butterflies.

This is a great plant, it is tough and bug resistant and very attractive.
It is so attractive that the butterflys and hummingbirds are flitting about its puff. Some seeds have sprouted that fell and germinated under the plant, I transplanted them into potting soil and they are doing great. I am planning to try different methods of propagation to see which will be the best.

In my borderline Zone 8b/9a climate in NE Fla, this Calliandra dies back in winter with freezing temperatures, but rebounds in the Spring and begins to bloom around May.

If you have this plant and live in a climate where it freezes, don't be too quick to prune back what looks like brown, dead, leafless stems. Leaves and flowers will emerge most of the way up the stems in the Springtime. I think it is best to wait until the flowers appear to determine what part of the plant is truly lifeless.

My row of shrubs, in the ground many years, has been sheared annually into a 6' hedge after the winter bloom period is over. Planted in a dry area on the side of my house, they are truly drought tolerant, subsisting on rain water only, which in coastal San Diego averages 11 inches per year between November and April. The plentiful watermelon red blooms are charming; the new growth a lovely bronze with a graceful arching form.

Plant responds with lots of blooms following a good watering. However, my dogs love to eat the powder puffs and my plants don't have flowers on them for long! (FYI...They've been eating them for a year and have never had a bad reaction.)

Our Calliandra in So Cal (dry climate of E of San Diego) blooms best in winter (November till April) and at that time is really covered both with blooms and their less pretty spent brown dry remnants. Hummingbirds love it and it is fun to watch them feed (I am posting a photo of one). If Calliandra does best in humidity, it has clearly shifted its blooming time here to the wettest period since during the dry hot summer and fall it does not bloom at all (I see the difference from Florida humid tropical climate). Calliandra is rapidly growing and needs pruning to keep in check.

There´s a Red Power Puff near here that blooms constantly during the year. However, it never gets covered with flowers like other species. The folliage gives it a more smooth look than other Calliandras.

Calliandra haematocephala is a sub-tropical plant the family of which is native to the India, Mexico, Madagascar, South America and the United States. It is adaptable, but prefers moist, well-drained, fertile soil. Does best with moderate humidity. This species is grown as a hedge or shrub in the landscape for its powder-puff-type flowers. Very attractive to bees and butterflies.