Calli.gif is a GIF of a Calliandra haematocephalla (dwarf powder puff)
at the peak of its blooming. Photo was taken August, 1993. Plant in
training since June, 1993. It is approximately 6 years old, and 22
inches tall.

I haven't done much with it since I mail-ordered it from Brussel's
Bonsai, except to repot it in a 12-inch clay azalea pot, and trim
it about 4 inches all around. I attempted to wire the left branch
downward, but one day later I looked at the bend and it had begun to
split at the crotch. I bent the branch back up and wrapped the split
with twine. I hope it heals.

My plans are to bend both the left and right branches down (if possible;
it's awfully brittle) and prune off about 5 inches everywhere, to reduce
the overall height and bring the trunk diameter into proportion. Until
spring, I will let it grow wild to bring up the girth of some branches.

It usually has a few blossoms in progress, but a heavy pruning in June
brought forth about 100 blossoms simultaneously. Unfortunately, blossoms
are very short-lived, lasting only a couple of days, so the tree
doesn't always look this pretty. One week after the photo, it is down
to just 5 flowers.

Calliandra is in the Leguminosae family and produces seed pods. When
I bought the plant, one pod had set, and one week ago I harvested 3
seeds and got two to germinate. I believe it is a native of Mexico,
and likes warm winters and plenty of humidity.

Years ago, back in Minnesota, I had one as a plain old house plant and
it did well. Since I moved to California, I have always looked for one
in nurseries without success. When I saw them for sale in the Brussel's
Bonsai catalog, well, I had to have one--three, actually; I bought the
large one, and two 2-year-olds.