Pink Powder Puff is typically grown as a tree or shrub. It is everblooming with stunning pink flowers, resembling a brush, which are accentuated with a white interior. It has a sprawling habit and blooms best in the full sun. These electric blooms attract a variety of butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators.
How to care for Pink Powder Puff
Light. Blooms best in full sun, where it grows fast.
Water. Water regularly while young. Once established it needs no special care beyond an occasional pruning.
Soil and feeding. It grows in sand, clay or loam, acidic to slightly alkaline, as long as the soil drains well.
Size. Grows to about 15 ft when pruned into a small tree, with long arching branches. Kept as a flowering hedge it stays 5–6 ft.
Pruning. Prune for a strong structure and to keep it in bounds. Pinching new growth adds branches and more flowers. Remove lower limbs to train it as a small tree.
Problems to watch. Usually pest free. Mites, caterpillars or other chewing insects sometimes feed on it.
Good to know. Fragrant pink-and-white puffs appear in the warm months. Freezes damage it, but it regrows from the base.
Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS (ST109): Calliandra surinamensis, Pink Powderpuff
