RED POWDERPUFF

A popping puff of color for winter landscapes



February 21, 2020

Powderpuff particulars

• Has raspberry-looking buds
• Boasts colorful leaves and pods
• Blooms red, pink or white fall to winter in landscape
• As a tree, can grow 15 ft. tall by 10-15 ft. wide
• As a shrub, can be trimmed to 5-6 ft. tall for specimen or hedge; or for pot plant or espaliered on wall/fence
• Hardy to mid-20 degrees
• Provides food to pollinators
• Easy to propagate by seed or cutting

Easy care for flare

• Prefer well-drained (not soggy), slightly alkaline soil
• Grow in sun to partial shade
• Are drought tolerant, bloom best with average watering
• Do well in heat and humidity
• Disease resistant; few, if any, pests

Red powderpuff, Calliandra haematocephala, sometimes called pink powderpuff is a fall- to winter-blooming shrub or small tree that is root-hardy in the Victoria area and lends a pop of color to winter landscapes while providing food for butterflies, other pollinators and late hummingbirds when little else is blooming.

Derivation

The scientific name is from the Greek Kali (Calli) meaning beautiful and andros, meaning male, as the most visible parts of the flowers are the stamens, the male parts of any flower combined with haemato meaning blood and cephala meaning head.

The species is native to Bolivia and has very recently been moved from the bean family to the mimosa family although older references still call them beans.

Uses in landscape, home

This versatile plant may be trimmed into tree form and will grow to 15 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide, trimmed into a 5-6 foot tall shrub for use as a specimen or a hedge, planted in a large pot as a patio plant, espaliered against a wall or fence, used as a house plant for a well lighted area or even used to create a blooming Bonsai.

• Hardy to mid-20 degrees

It will stay evergreen down to about 29 degrees and die to the ground when the temperatures hit mid- to low-20s but will come back from the roots and grow to at least 6 feet tall before the next winter. There is also a dwarf variety available that will stay under 6 feet at its maximum height and blooms for a longer period than the full-sized variety.

• Beautiful red, pink or white fall-to-winter blooms

Powderpuff is an apt description for the fragrant red, pink or white, 2-3 inch in diameter flowers produced on new wood mostly during the fall to winter with scattered blooms during spring and summer.

• Raspberry-like buds with colorful leaves and pods

Before they open the flower buds resemble raspberries. The feathery evergreen leaves which are a coppery bronze when young and mature to rich, dark green close up at night, to the delight of children, and provide a larval food for the Cassius blue butterfly and probably other species, too. The flowers produce a bean-like pod three to 6 inches long which is brown at maturity and contains several seeds.

Easy care for this tough plant

Red powderpuff is an adaptable species.

• Soil

It prefers well-drained clay, sand or loam soils with a slightly alkaline pH.

• Light and water

It grows well and flowers in full sun to partial shade and, while they bloom best with average water, they are quite drought tolerant. These plants do not like soggy soil so you may need to amend your soil or build a raised bed if you wish to plant them in a low spot.

• Heat and humidity

This plant loves our heat and humidity and indoor plants should have their pots set in a tray of wet sand or gravel in order to keep the humidity around the plant high.

• Fertilizer

Fertilization should use a complete balanced fertilizer applied in spring or summer, but no later than late summer so tender new growth during the colder seasons is not encouraged. Container plants may be fertilized with a half strength balanced liquid plant food every two to three weeks during the growing period.

• Pruning

Pruning will, of course, be dependent upon what form you wish your plants to have. Pruning or pinching the growing tips will make for a bushier plant with more flowers, while removing low branches will give a more tree-like plant.

Left to itself the branches will be long and arching and form a symmetrical, rounded and smooth crown but this plant is easy to prune into almost any shape you desire including bonsaied or espaliered.

• Disease, insect pests

Calliandra is highly disease-resistant with no major insect pests although it is sometimes affected by caterpillars, including those of desirable butterflies, mealy bugs, spider mites or aphids.

Easy to propagate from seed or cutting

These plants are so beautiful you may want more and luckily they are easy to start from seeds or cuttings. Seeds should have hot water poured over them and then be soaked for 24-48 hours before planting in 70-75 degree soil where they will germinate in 1-3 weeks.

Cuttings should be taken in spring from the tips of the stems and rooted in moist soil after being dipped in rooting hormone.

If you are looking for something different and colorful for your winter landscape, protected patio or house, consider getting a red or pink powderpuff – or three. They are easy to grow as they are pleasing to the eye.

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.