Flor De La Cruz, Powder Puff Bush, Red Powder-puff, Stickpea, Lehua Haole (Honey bee plants of Hawaii, United States)

Flor De La Cruz, Powder Puff Bush, Red Powder-puff, Stickpea, Lehua Haole

Calliandra haematocephala

Summary ⁴

Pollen:
Nectar:Minor

The blossoms of this shrub resemble, to some extent, the tufted red stamens of the native tree called ohia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) and so they have been given the common name of "foreign lehua" that is, lehua haole. The shrub is more often seen in gardens than the native species because it thrives at lower levels. The fluffy, red pompons of the lehua haole are one of the most effective of the island lei flowers. Each is a large, round head of pinkish red stamens, fragile in appearance, but of surprising strength and endurance for lei making. Strung together they create a drop of color that is like feathers. These leis are sold during the winter months. Although it is slow growing, the plant will attain twelve feet in height. Its leaves are curiously divided into pairs, each of which is further compounded into small leaflets. These are graduated in size, the ones at the end being largest. They are velvety and have two strong, lateral mid veins. (Kuck, L. E., & Tongg, R. C. (1965). Hawaiian flowers & flowering trees)

Sources and Credits

(c) laurelh, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Photo by David J. Stang, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calliandra_haematocephala_14zz.jpg
(c) Megan W., some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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