Calliandra surinamensis Dixie Pink

Calliandra surinamensis 'Dixie Pink' is a compact and colourful selection from an original and highly decorative bush native to South America, known as the Powder Puff Tree or Sailor's Pompom. With its spreading habit that perfectly showcases its finely cut foliage, this mimosa cousin is adorned with scented flowers in the shape of bright pink plumes with white bases throughout the summer. Since it perishes below -5°C, it is cultivated in a large pot to be stored indoors during winter in coastal gardens. It is an extremely ornamental bush with an airy appearance and delicate flowering, yet it is robust enough to withstand heat and a certain summer drought once well-rooted.

Calliandra surinamensis 'Dixie Pink' is a bush from the Fabaceae family, just like Albizia and Mimosa. Its ancestor is a botanical species native to the northern part of South America. The plant, with a moderately fast growth, reaches a height of about 1.80m (5ft 11in) with a spread of 1.50m. In the ground, depending on the growing conditions, it may develop a little more. The bush has an upright habit in its youth, then develops, often from the base, large upright branches that support a spreading and very dense canopy composed of fine and ramified stems with light foliage. It generally forms several trunks. In its native habitat, Calliandra can flower all year round, while under our climate, flowering occurs from July to September. Its feathery and silky inflorescences resemble those of Albizia. They are actually composed of long white stamens at the base, vivid pink at the tips, well visible, surpassing the rudimentary corollas grouped in heads. This scented flowering, greatly visited by pollinating insects, gives way to a fruit that is a long flat pod, initially green then brown, containing several smooth seeds. The leaves, evergreen or semi-evergreen depending on the severity of the winter, are very large, divided into large leaflets, themselves subdivided into small leaflets. Finally, and this is a characteristic of plants in the fabaceae family, the roots form nodosities capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen through specific bacteria present in these organs. The taproot system of this bush does not tolerate transplantations well.

Sailor's Pompom 'Dixie Pink' is planted as a standalone specimen, it is an extremely ornamental and rare bush that deserves a prime location. Its flowering accentuates its exotic nature. In mild climates, it can be associated with  Oleanders, Erythrinas, Callistemons, Pittosporums, etc. Even in mild climates, its hardiness should be taken into account by planting it in well-drained soil, in full sun, and sheltered from prevailing winds and cold drafts.