Flower profile
Pink fairy-duster
Calliandra eriophylla
Pink fairy-duster is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona
Quick look
Calliandra eriophylla, commonly known as fairy duster, is a low spreading shrub which is native to deserts and arid grasslands in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico.
- It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 3,811 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #24 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
Pink fairy-duster gift ideas
Handmade pink fairy-duster gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Pink fairy-duster art print
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Pink fairy-duster greeting card
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Pink fairy-duster mug
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Pink fairy-duster earrings
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Pink fairy-duster embroidery pattern
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Pink fairy-duster sticker
When does it bloom?
In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in February–May.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records pink fairy-duster in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.
More Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CAER.
- iNaturalist, Calliandra eriophylla: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Calliandra eriophylla (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Calliandra eriophylla (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Mark Pollock via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.