Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Fairy duster
Fairy Duster is a low, airy Sonoran Desert native shrub with pink powder-puff flowers in late winter and spring, and again in fall. Hummingbirds pollinate it and butterflies visit the flowers. It stays small, about 1 to 3 feet tall, so it fits borders, small beds and mass plantings. Once rooted it lives on little water.
Best for: low borders and small beds, mass plantings on dry slopes, and native hummingbird gardens.
It stays about 1 to 3 feet tall and spreads 3 to 5 feet. Plant it 2 to 3 feet apart along a path or in the front of a bed.
It grows wild on dry, rocky hills in Arizona. A group of them covers a dry slope or bank with fine leaves and pink puffs.
Hummingbirds pollinate the pink powder-puff flowers, and butterflies visit too. The main bloom is late winter into spring, with more in fall.
It drops its leaves in cold winters and in hard drought. In shade it grows looser and flowers less. Too much water slows the bloom.
- Closer planting2 ft apart, center to center
- Wider planting3 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.
Once rooted, back off the water. It flowers better when watering is not too regular, though it grows slower. Overwatering can turn the leaves yellow.
Plant it in full sun for the best bloom. It takes some shade, but it grows looser and flowers less there.
It seldom needs pruning, and if you shape it, do it lightly in late spring after bloom. It needs no fertilizer in the ground.
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.
Is Fairy Duster native to Arizona?
Yes, it grows wild on dry, rocky hills and grasslands in the Sonoran Desert region of Arizona. It fits well in a native or dry-slope planting.
How big does Fairy Duster get?
It grows about 1 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, and it is easy to keep smaller. Plant it 24 to 36 inches apart.
When does it bloom?
It blooms mainly from late winter into spring, with a second round in fall and some flowers off and on through summer. Give it full sun and go easy on water for the most bloom.
How much water does it need?
Water regularly while it roots in. Once it is rooted, cut back on water, because it flowers better when watering is not too regular, though it grows slower.
Why is my fairy duster not blooming?
Too much water or too much shade are the usual reasons. Give it full sun and let it dry out between waterings.
Does it lose its leaves?
Yes, in cold winters and in hard drought. It leafs out again with warmth and water.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated hardy to about 10 to 15°F. It can drop its leaves in a cold winter, then leafs out again with warmth and water.
Does it attract hummingbirds?
Yes, hummingbirds are its pollinators, and butterflies visit the flowers too. Plant it where you can watch them from a window or patio.
Does it need pruning?
It seldom needs any pruning at all. If you want to shape it, prune lightly in late spring after it blooms.
How is it different from Baja Fairy Duster?
Fairy Duster is a low Arizona native with pink puffs and takes more cold. Baja Fairy Duster grows about 5 feet tall with red puffs and blooms more of the year.
Fairy duster for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Fairy Duster, also called pink fairy duster, is a small native shrub of Arizona desert hills and grasslands. Below are the questions people ask most, from size, spacing and bloom to water, cold and how it differs from the larger red Baja fairy duster.
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Fairy Duster, a Sonoran Desert native
Fairy Duster grows wild on dry, rocky hills from about 2,000 to 5,000 feet in Arizona. Pink powder-puff flowers cover the fine leaves in spring.
How big does Fairy Duster get?
Plan on about 1 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, and it is easy to keep smaller. It suits small beds, borders and mass plantings.
How far apart do you plant Fairy Duster?
Plant it about 24 to 36 inches apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
How often do you water Fairy Duster?
Water every few days at first, then stretch the gaps out over about two months. Once it is rooted, water sparingly, because it blooms better when watering is not too regular.
When does Fairy Duster bloom?
It blooms mainly from late winter into spring, and again in fall. Hummingbirds pollinate the flowers, and butterflies visit them.
Fairy Duster vs Baja Fairy Duster
Fairy Duster is low, pink and cold hardy to about 10 to 15°F. Baja Fairy Duster is a larger shrub about 5 feet tall with red flowers, hardy to about 20°F. Pick the native for a low border in colder spots.
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