Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Baja Fairy duster
Baja Fairy Duster is a fine-leaved shrub covered in bright red powder-puff flowers for most of the year. Hummingbirds guard it, and butterflies and bees come for the nectar. It takes full sun and the reflected heat off garden walls. Planted in a row, it makes an informal flowering hedge about 5 feet tall.
Best for: hummingbird gardens, an informal flowering hedge, and hot beds along sunny walls.
Bright red puffs open most of the year, with the most from late fall through early spring. Hummingbirds claim it and chase others away.
Planted 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, in a row, it fills in as an informal hedge about 5 feet tall. Head back single stems instead of shearing.
It thrives in full sun and handles the reflected heat off garden walls. A deep soak every two weeks in summer keeps leaves and flowers full.
Near 20 to 25°F it can freeze back, and bloom then waits until summer. Slow-draining heavy clay is a problem. Kept too dry, it has sparse leaves and flowers.
- Closer planting4 ft apart, center to center
- Informal hedge4-6 ft apart, center to center
Water every 3 to 4 days for the first two weeks. Then stretch the gaps step by step, to about every 10 to 14 days by the second month.
Give a deep soak about every two weeks in summer, and every month or two in winter. Regular water gives fuller leaves and more flowers.
Prune lightly in late spring or early summer, heading back single stems. Never remove more than a quarter of the plant at a time, and do not shear it.
Near 20 to 25°F it can freeze back. It resprouts in spring, and bloom waits until summer.
It needs little or no feeding. Too much fertilizer makes growth rampant.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Baja Fairy Duster get?
It usually grows about 5 feet tall and wide, and up to 6 feet with regular water. Plant it 4 to 6 feet apart.
When does it bloom?
It blooms most of the year. The heaviest bloom runs from late fall into early spring, and it keeps flowering through summer when it gets water.
Does it attract hummingbirds?
Yes, it draws them strongly, and hummingbirds get territorial about it. Butterflies and bees visit the flowers too.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted, give a deep soak about every two weeks in summer and every month or two in winter. It handles drought, but leaves and flowers thin out when kept too dry.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It does well in full sun and the reflected heat off walls. It also grows in part sun.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 20°F, and near 20 to 25°F it can freeze back. It regrows in spring, but bloom waits until summer, so leave the damage until spring.
How do I prune it?
Prune lightly in late spring or early summer by heading back single stems. Do not shear it into a hedge, and never take more than a quarter of the plant at once.
Does it need fertilizer?
No. Feed it sparingly if at all, since extra feeding makes growth rampant.
What soil does it need?
It does best in native desert soil that drains well. Avoid planting it in slow-draining heavy clay.
How is it different from Fairy Duster?
Baja Fairy Duster is larger, about 5 feet, with red puffs most of the year. Fairy Duster is a low Arizona native with pink puffs and takes more cold.
Does Baja Fairy Duster keep its leaves in winter?
It keeps most of its leaves through a mild Valley winter. A freeze near 20 to 25°F can knock it back, and it regrows in spring.
Is Baja Fairy Duster messy?
No. It drops very little litter, so it is easy to keep near a patio or walk.
Baja Fairy duster for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Baja Fairy Duster is a red-flowered shrub from Baja California that blooms most of the year in the Valley. This page covers size, spacing, water, cold, pruning and how it differs from the smaller pink Fairy Duster.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Baja Fairy Duster in the Valley
Baja Fairy Duster comes from Baja California and is very heat and drought tolerant once rooted. Red powder puffs cover it most of the year.
How big does Baja Fairy Duster get?
Plan on about 5 feet tall and wide, and up to 6 feet with regular water. It grows fast when it gets regular water.
How far apart do you plant Baja Fairy Duster?
Plant it about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, for a bed or an informal hedge. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for you.
How often do you water Baja Fairy Duster?
Once it is rooted, water it about every two weeks in summer and every month or two in winter. If it is kept too dry, its leaves and flowers thin out.
When do you prune Baja Fairy Duster?
Prune it lightly in late spring or early summer. Head back single stems instead of shearing, and take no more than a quarter of the plant at once.
Baja Fairy Duster vs Fairy Duster
Baja Fairy Duster is the larger red one, about 5 feet, hardy to about 20°F. Fairy Duster is a low Arizona native with pink puffs, hardy to about 10 to 15°F.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.