Fairy duster is an attractive evergreen shrub with delightful pink flowers. Here’s everything you need to know about planting and caring for this Sonoran Desert native.
Fairy duster or pink fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla) is a medium size shrub native to large swaths of the desert southwest.
It derives its common name from its pink flowers that look like miniature feather dusters. It has slim, gray, wiry stems and lacy, fern-like leaves that close at night.
This plant may look delicate, but it’s as tough desert native. In its native environment, it grows in full sun and survives on 3 to 14 inches of annual rainfall. It’s extremely cold-hardy and tolerates temperatures in the lower teens.
Fairy duster is an extremely low-maintenance plant. Once established, it needs minimal irrigation. It requires virtually no pruning and produces no obvious litter.
Fairy duster is semi-evergreen, losing its leaves during extreme cold or drought. During the winter, it is relatively inconspicuous but rewards you in the spring with an explosion of pink puffballs.
While they might not look like it, the flowers are heavy nectar-producers that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Additionally, fairy duster seeds are eaten by numerous seed-eating birds, especially the native quail species.
No desert plant is completely “critter-proof.” If animals get hungry enough, they’ll eat almost anything. But rabbits, deer, and javelinas usually leave fairy duster alone.
Why I Like This Plant
- Explodes with pink flowers
- Takes extreme heat and cold in its stride
- Low maintenance, needs little water, rarely needs pruning
- Hummingbird and butterfly magnet
- No thorns, no litter, non-allergenic, non-toxic
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a fairy duster to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Fairy duster should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 11. It is cold-hardy down to 20℉. It’s considered semi-evergreen, and it’s normal for it to lose leaves during extreme cold.
Sun Exposure
Fairy duster thrives in full sun. While it can be grown in part shade, you can expect it will have fewer flowers.
Size and Growth Rate
Fairy duster is considered a slow-to-moderate grower. The speed of growth can be sped up by giving it supplemental water. It typically reaches a size of 4’ wide by 4’ tall.
Soil
Fairy duster is not particular about soil and grows well in any native desert soil, provided it’s well-draining.
Other Location Considerations
Because it has no thorns, is non-toxic, and is litter-free, it is a plant you can place near a pool, sidewalk, or anywhere it might come in contact with people or pets.
Fairy Duster:
The Essentials
| Common Names | Fairy duster, pink fairy duster |
| Scientific Name | Calliandra eriophylla |
| Origin | Sonoran Desert |
| Plant Type | Semi-evergreen shrub |
| USDA Zones | 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 20℉ |
| Flower Color | Pink |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 4’ high x 4’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part sun |
| Water Needs | Low once established |
| Pests & Diseases | Chlorosis if overwatered |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns, non-toxic |
| Wildlife | Attracts butterflies, hummingbirds Deer, rabbit, javelina resistant |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any shrub or tree in the desert is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant fairy duster is in the fall. This gives your shrub three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for Fairy Duster
Whether you’ve recently planted a fairy duster or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water New Plants
Once you’ve got your fairy duster planted, watering your plant is your most immediate concern. Here is the recommended watering schedule for new shrubs planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 6 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
| Weeks 7 & 8 | Every 10 – 14 days |
After week 8, gradually extend the time between waterings.
How to Water Established Plants
As your shrub gets established, there are two watering factors to consider.
- First is how often to water. This will vary with the seasons.
- Second is how much water to give your shrub with each watering. This depends on the size of your plant and will change as your plant grows.
To determine the ideal watering schedule for any desert shrub you’ll find everything you need to know, including easy-to-use charts, at How to Water Desert Shrubs: How Often? How Much?
Note that iron deficiency, which is characterized by yellow leaves, can be a problem for fairy dusters that are watered too frequently.
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize fairy dusters. They get all the nutrients they need from native soil.
And since they are a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), they fix nitrogen which naturally improves their surrounding soil.
How to Prune
Fairy duster has a naturally attractive form and rarely needs pruning. Occasionally, an errant branch might need to be trimmed. You can easily do this with your snippers or hand clippers.
If you must prune your fairy duster, the best time is in late spring after it’s done blooming. Don’t take off any more than necessary and aim to achieve an informal look.
If you try to shear it like a hedge or substantially change its size and shape, you will destroy this plant’s natural shape and inhibit flowering.
For more flowers, remove the seed pods while they are still green. This frees up more energy for making flowers.
Don’t Confuse Pink Fairy Duster With…
Pink fairy duster is not the only fairy duster used in southwest desert landscaping. There is also the red fairy duster (Calliandra californica), also known as Baja fairy duster.
It is another Sonoran Desert native which grows somewhat larger, is evergreen, and has red flowers.
Fairy Duster Cultivars
Pink fairy dusters readily hybridize with red fairy dusters. Commercial growers have crossed the two to develop fairy dusters cultivars which have attributes of both plants.
You’ll find these crosses under the names Calliandra hybrid ‘Maricopa Red and Calliandra x Sierra Star. You can learn more about these in my article Baja Fairy Duster: Charming Non-Stop Bloomer.
Plant Lover Facts
Pink fairy duster (Calliandra eriophylla) has a large native range. It grows in all four of the US deserts — Great Basin, Mohave, Chihuahuan, and Sonoran. It can be found in desert and shrubland regions of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas, and throughout Mexico.
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
