Photo: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
| Scientific name | Calliandra californica |
|---|---|
| Genus | Calliandra |
| Origin | Baja California/Mexico |
| Family | Fabaceae |
| Region | Global |
Calliandra californica, the Baja fairy duster, is an evergreen, woody shrub, native to Baja California, Mexico. In Spanish, the plant is also known vernacularly as tabardillo, zapotillo or chuparosa. The flowers, which appear in early summer, have clusters of red stamens. The shrub is usually 0.6–1.8 metres (2 ft 0 in – 5 ft 11 in) in height and has bipinnate leaves. The leaves have been described as "fern-like." Leaves close at night time. Calliandra californica is cold tolerant to temperatures of 22 °F (−6 °C), though its roots will tolerate temperatures as low as 5 °F (−15 °C). It grows best in full sun. C.