Shrub · Sonoran native
Fairy duster
Calliandra eriophylla · Fabaceae
Also called: pink fairyduster, false mesquite, mesquitilla, hairy-leaf calliandra
Fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla) is a very low-water shrub native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 1-3 ft H x 2-4 ft W in full sun, with a slow to moderate growth rate.
Fairy duster at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates light/part shade but blooms best in full sun
- Mature size
- 1-3 ft H x 2-4 ft W
- Growth rate
- Slow to moderate
- Bloom
- Pink to rose (pinkish-white) powderpuff flowers, Late winter through spring (Feb-May), with scattered rebloom after summer monsoon rains
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 10-15°F; USDA zones 8-11 (root-hardy and may freeze back in hard frost)
- Soil
- Excellent drainage required; tolerates poor, rocky, gravelly, sandy, and alkaline/caliche desert soils.
- Native range
- Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts; southern Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas, southern California, and northern Mexico
- Best used as
- Native and pollinator/wildlife gardens, Low informal hedge or accent, Revegetation and erosion control, Rock and xeriscape gardens, Hummingbird gardens
- Wildlife
- Larval host and nectar plant; flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees; foliage browsed by deer, javelina, rabbits, and quail; a valuable native pollinator and browse plant
- Toxicity
- Not known to be toxic to humans or pets; foliage is browsed by livestock and wildlife
How to grow Fairy duster in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Very drought tolerant once established; survives on rainfall in Tucson but looks fuller with a deep soak every 2-3 weeks in summer. Avoid frequent shallow watering.
Fertilizer & nutrients
None needed; as a legume it fixes its own nitrogen and thrives in poor soils. Fertilizer is unnecessary.
Pruning & care
Prune lightly to shape or cut back hard in late winter/early spring to rejuvenate and encourage dense growth and bloom. Tolerates a hard renewal cut every few years.
Notes
A delicate, fine-textured Sonoran Desert native with feathery foliage and pink powderpuff blooms; smaller and more cold-hardy than the related Baja fairy duster. Drought-deciduous, dropping leaves in extreme drought or hard cold and leafing back out with moisture. Nitrogen-fixing legume.
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Tohono Chul