Electric Calliandra

April 18, 2018 4:55
Electric Calliandra
Growing Native with Petey Mesquitey
Electric Calliandra

Apr 18 2018 | 4:55

/

Show Notes

Calliandra is a beautiful plant name. I like the way a genus name can sometimes become the common name as well. I wonder how many baby girls of botanists or native plant enthusiasts are named Calliandra? Fairy duster is a pretty nice common name too and this species is sometimes called false mesquite or mesquitilla. You pick.

I mention how the abundance of seed must be good feed for small mammals and birds, but neglected to say that the stems and leaves are browsed by larger critters like deer and cattle. And finally,  there is a funny line in Arizona Flora saying that it is “a straggling shrub” but there is no mention of the showy flowers. I guess we don’t need a flora to tell us that.

The photos are mine. That’s the base of a sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) in one shot and then a close up of the electric stamens. I think that is the 220-volt model and I’m lucky I didn’t get shocked!

Other Episodes

Episode

September 22, 2014
Episode Cover

Wild Zinnias Rule

Cenchrus pauciflorus or Sandbur is a grass! It is a maddening weed.  But how about the wild Zinnias of the borderlands? There are 3...

Listen

Episode 0

August 04, 2020 00:05:05
Episode Cover

Jatropha macrorhiza

Since producing this episode of Growing Native we have encountered Jatropha macrorhiza a couple more times. A recent sighting was over near the New...

Listen

Episode 0

April 28, 2020 00:04:27
Episode Cover

Marah gilensis

There are several species of Marah found in the western US, but only M. gilensis in Arizona. I call it wild cucumber, but another...

Listen