Red Powder Puff (Calliandra haematocephala): Fluffy Red Mimosa Blooms

Red powder puff (Calliandra haematocephala) is a showy, evergreen shrub or small tree with feathery, bipinnate leaves and spectacular, globular flower heads composed of dozens of long, silky, red stamens that look like powder puffs. It blooms heavily in fall and winter, sporadically year-round.

Features

Grows 6–10 feet tall and wide. The flowers are a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The foliage folds at night (nyctinasty). Can be trained as a small tree or espalier.

Culture

Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil. Water regularly. Prune after flowering. Hardy in zones 9–11; in zone 9, may die back but resprout. Excellent container plant.

Taxonomy

• Family: Mimosaceae (Fabaceae)
• Genus: Calliandra
• Species: haematocephala
• Synonym: Calliandra inaequilatera