by Rose Hill
Member since:
January 11, 2007

Powderpuff Tree - Calliandra - Flower Photos

September 08, 2009 10:39 AM UTC
views: 0 | comments: 36

Our dwarf powderpuff tree looks more like a bush and it is in full bloom right now, a veritable explosion of little red puffballs.

I love touching those soft balls. The fluffy, red balls feel like one of those super expensive, super soft make up brushes.

The correct name is Calliandra and it is a member of the mimosacaea (actually, I've never met a mimosa I didn't like and that includes the drink:).

 

In this picture you can see the red berry

which opens up into - well, -

a bright red little puffball. 

 

 

 

This one may be my favorite photo of the three images.

 

 Beautiful little puff balls - so soft ...

 

 

A pleasure to touch,

like a caress from mother nature.

 

You can see why it is also called fairy duster ...

 

Calliandras prefer a warm climate and they can be grown from seed.

From wikipedia

Calliandra is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Mimosoideae

 

 

Thanks for looking my gather friends

 and anyone who may stumble across this article.

 

All images © Rose H.

Comments: 36

Amy C. Sep 8, 2009, 10:53am UTC
Wow such vibrant color! beautiful shots!
Ina ♥ ♥ Sep 8, 2009, 10:56am UTC
Those are stunning! I'm jealous of your tropical garden, again.

They almost look like fiber optics!
They are beautiful. I saw one growing at our local zoo, they had it in the butterfly exhibit, they felt so soft~
Ada D. Sep 8, 2009, 11:03am UTC
They are naturally beautiful, but the way you captured and framed them really enhances the effect.
j - Frugal Mom - r. Sep 8, 2009, 11:07am UTC
These photos are awesome Rose, really awesome. I have seen something similar to the red berries down here, and now I wonder if they would open up like that. How cool!
Vivian P. Sep 8, 2009, 11:10am UTC
a pretty flower I'll best the bush is beautiful

wonderful macros
☃ Shannon K. Wendt Sep 8, 2009, 11:13am UTC
Awesome shots!
DesertDarlene L. Sep 8, 2009, 11:22am UTC
They grow a lot of those where I live. Very pretty. Nice shots.
Nana to Seven Cutiepies Sep 8, 2009, 11:22am UTC
What a beautiful tree and these photos are wonderful.
Nana to Seven Cutiepies Sep 8, 2009, 7:58pm UTC
Thanks so much for sharing with my group.
Sue * Sep 8, 2009, 11:42am UTC
I want one of these, but then I saw your warm climate note. I'm going to google and see if they have a variety that would survive here. I love this and the pictures are wonderful. Can you pick the blooms and put them in a vase?
Rose Hill Sep 8, 2009, 3:21pm UTC
I have never tried that - the blooms are on the branches with practically no stem - maybe an inch. But I have one of those spikey inserts in a flat flower bowl and I bet you could spike the stem and have it last for a day.

It might look pretty to display a couple of the branches, but I don't know how long the blooms would last.

The dwarf variety we just got this year, it lives in a large pot near the front entrance and it looks great - the guy said I could leave it in the post indefinitely.
The other one we have is a small tree (10-12 ft) about 60 years old. No trouble at all, love the wispy elegant long branches. Unfortunately it is in a bad spot where no one can see it.
It had a baby a couple of years back and this fall I'll try and transplant the sprout and see how it does.
Sue * Sep 8, 2009, 5:05pm UTC
I tried to find someplace online that sells them, but I didn't see anything. I'll have to look further. Oh...I see Duckie just answered my question about having them in Illinois.
Duckie 1 Sep 8, 2009, 12:18pm UTC

We have these trees where I grew up, in the Philippines... I miss them here in Illinois where the climate gets too cold for it to grow. I do remember picking the blossoms back home and rubbing them against my skin.
Sue * Sep 8, 2009, 5:06pm UTC
Could we have the dwarf ones in a pot here?
Duckie 1 Sep 8, 2009, 5:28pm UTC

I've seen them before as Bonsai specimens, Sue. Check here for one...
Duckie 1 Sep 8, 2009, 5:35pm UTC

And here's a Bonsai plant being auctioned on eBay now
Pam S. Sep 8, 2009, 12:37pm UTC
Amazing shots, very beautiful.
Rose Hill Sep 8, 2009, 3:22pm UTC
Thank you, Pam:)
phil w. Sep 8, 2009, 12:41pm UTC
What a beautiful bloom !
Rose Hill Sep 8, 2009, 3:24pm UTC
I wish I had a whole alley of them.
Dagmara H. Sep 8, 2009, 1:09pm UTC
those are beautiful
Kat W. Sep 8, 2009, 2:08pm UTC
Cool looking blooms and such a vivid color!

Thank you for posting to Pretty Pictures.
Rose Hill Sep 8, 2009, 3:22pm UTC
The color is even more vivid in real life - a deep bright red.
necee t. Sep 8, 2009, 3:45pm UTC
ooh wow, Rose... these are soooo pretty... thanks for sharing as always... love you...

Hearts Comments

Spicecomments.com - Hearts Comments
Rose Hill Sep 9, 2009, 9:49am UTC
Hi there necee - nice to see you and the bears around gather again.
Marianne R. Sep 8, 2009, 4:22pm UTC
Pretty shots. Is that really what that plant is called?
Rose Hill Sep 9, 2009, 9:47am UTC
LOL - Marianne - it's all there in the post:) I said it in the title - the real name is Calliandra or Red Calliandra and I put a link in the post to wikipedia, after I researched it.:)

I had no idea there were so many varieties, ours is a popular and easy to grow variety in this area.
The locals call it powderpuff tree - I call it the puffball tree:)
Cristina S. Sep 8, 2009, 5:10pm UTC
Rose, all of your photos are so gorgeous!
Amanda "middle of nowhere" C. Sep 8, 2009, 9:20pm UTC
I don't' think I've ever seen one of these. It's a beautiful flower/bush/tree/whatever!

Hope your week is off to a good start!
Rose Hill Sep 9, 2009, 9:48am UTC
Amanda, it's a bush and a tree:)

Thanks, so far I'm having a great week! We may even take a couple days for a little trip.
Angela M. Sep 8, 2009, 11:04pm UTC
those are really pretty
Tory H. Sep 11, 2009, 10:54am UTC
What a beautiful, interesting plant! I'd love to have one of these some day...
Austin Cushing Sep 12, 2009, 3:58pm UTC
This comment is to let you know that this content has reached at least ten comments, and as such has been removed from Comment Speedway! Congratulations!
Barbara M. Sep 25, 2009, 11:05pm UTC
Beautiful photos and beautiful flowers, Rose. Looks almost like fireworks.

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