Picture Notes: I captured the shots (Figs. 01 & 02) of a Baja Fairy Duster on one of my many visits to the Ethel M Cactus Garden in Las Vegas. The beautiful picture below (Fig. 02), also taken at the Ethel M Cactus Garden, was taken by one of my fellow hiking partners, Kathy Pool, and is posted here with permission.
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| (Fig. 02) |
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Description: The Calliandra californica, endemic to Baja California, is commonly called the Baja Fairy Duster. This shrub can obtain a height of 5 feet with a width of more than 4 feet. The long red (sometimes pink) stamens of its flowers resemble the tufted head of a dusting brush. These "puff-like" flowers bloom almost all year long with a peak time occurring in the late spring. Medium green, twice divided leaves are one inch long and give this flowing shrub a somewhat tropical appearance. It can be found on gravelly flats, hillsides and desert washes.
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