Calliandra haematocephala
Calliandra haematocephala, the red powder puff, is a species of flowering plants of the genus Calliandra in the family Fabaceae.
Description
Rambling shrub or small tree with branched pinnate, silky leaves and powder-puff-like balls of conspicuous dark crimson stamens. Calliandra haematocephala is a fast growing shrub that can grow tall but also spreads wide. It is a shrub or small tree, reaching a size of up to 5 m tall. Pinnae 1 pair; leaflets 5–8 pairs per pinna, narrowly ovate, elliptic, or obovate, the distal ones 15–84 mm long and 5–35 mm wide, the proximal ones smaller. Capitula spherical, heteromorphic, peduncles axillary, 1.2–3.3 cm long, flowers essentially glabrous; calyx campanulate, 1.5–3 mm long; corolla tubular, 8 mm long; filaments red, occasionally white, staminal tube briefly exserted, except in the central flower where it is strongly exserted. Fruit coriaceous, glabrous.If desired it can be kept smaller by trimming. Interesting enough the leaves close at night. The red powder puff flowers are attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds but only appear from November - April in the Northern Hemisphere. The buds before the flowers open look like raspberries. This large shrub can be grown indoor if trimmed and grown in a pot but it will be best if it grows outside in a warm climate.