(سرخی جھاڑ / گلابی پاؤڈر پف) Calliandra tergemina – Powderpuff Tree

Calliandra tergemina – Powderpuff Tree (سرخی جھاڑ / گلابی پاؤڈر پف)

– Bright pink, silky puffball flowers, – Fast-growing tropical shrub or small tree, – Attracts butterflies and hummingbird-like sunbirds

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🌿 Botanical Name: Calliandra tergemina (kal-ee-AN-druh ter-JEM-in-uh)
🌿 Family: Fabaceae (FAB-ay-see-ee) – پھلی دار خاندان
🧊 Hardiness Zone (USA): 9–11
📏 Height: 6 to 12 feet as a bush; taller if left tree-form

🍃 Foliage:
Delicate, bipinnate leaves, like mimosa or acacia. Folds at night (nyctinastic movement). Lush green canopy—adds tropical texture. 

🌸 Flowering Period (Lahore/Punjab):
March to October, with peaks after monsoon rain. Blooms are bright pink to magenta, composed of silky stamens in a puffball shape.
Highly ornamental and eye-catching. 

🌼 Companion Plants:

• Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Pride of Barbados)

• Hibiscus mutabilis

• Bougainvillea (trailing around base or boundary)

🏡 Garden Usage:
Perfect for hedges, ornamental screens, shrubs under tree canopies, or as a specimen plant.
Can also be pruned into an umbrella shape tree

🍈 Fruition:
Produces bean-like seed pods—dry and brown when mature. Self-seeds mildly in open soil

🌱 Soil:
Well-drained, loamy to sandy soil. Tolerates mild drought once established

⚖️ pH Value: Neutral to slightly acidic (6.0–7.0)

💧 Water:
Moderate water requirement. Deep watering once or twice weekly in summer.
Avoid waterlogging

🌡️ Temperature:
Thrives in Lahore’s warm, humid spring and summer. Struggles only in frost-prone or cold conditions

☀️ Location Preference (sun or shade):
Full sun is essential for maximum flowering. Can tolerate light partial shade but with fewer blooms

🌾 Propagation:
By semi-hardwood cuttings or seeds in early spring.
Rooting hormone helps with success in Lahore climate

🐛 Pesticides:
Generally pest-resistant
May attract minor scale insects or mealybugs—use neem oil if needed

🌻 Fertilizers:
Apply balanced NPK 10-10-10 in spring and monsoon
Add compost to enrich flowering

🦋 Attractiveness to Wildlife:
A magnet for butterflies, bees, and sunbirds
Great for pollinator gardens and school biodiversity corners

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💡 Lahore Growth Note:
Calliandra tergemina flourishes in full sun, fertile soil, and regular pruning. Its graceful leaves and powderpuff blooms make it a focal point in Lahore gardens, especially near water features or along boundary lines.

🌸 May you enjoy the soft bursts of pink/ red from the Powderpuff Tree brightening your summer lawn or shaded courtyard!