Hello everyone! Ready to learn about the Fairy Duster? It is a low shrub with pink-orange puffballs! It lives in the Sonoran Desert and attracts many different types of animals, like hummingbirds. Fairy Dusters have lots of cool facts. Make sure to explore more about them and come visit them in the Sonoran Desert!  WHO AM I? I am a low shrub, called Fairy Duster. I can grow up from 8 to up 48 inches tall. I am also known as the False Mesquite. I form part of the Pea Family.
 WHERE DO I LIVE? I live in the Sonoran Desert. I can usually be found in the slopes of the desert or in gardens. I will also be found in chaparral areas in San Diego, CA.
HOW DO I LOOK? I am made up of pink-orange puff balls. My puff balls are usually about 2 inches in diameter. I bloom all year round, but mostly during February through May.
 WHAT DO I EAT? I do not need to drink too much water, but I do love to soak up the sun! A lot of desert and chaparral animals eat me. I am also used as a decorative shrub in gardens and/or landscapes. Some people also use me to balance their emotions.
 FUN FACTS!
I provide food for many types of desert animals and insects. I especially attract bees and hummingbirds.
 ACTIVITIES
K- Create a Fairy Duster! Use green pipe cleaners as your stem and different colored fuzz balls to make your very own Fairy Duster.
1st- Create a Fairy Duster! Use green pipe cleaners as your stem and different colored fuzz balls to make your very own Fairy Duster.
2nd- Create a collage that tells us all about the Fairy Duster. Include pictures of their habitat, what they look like, and who feeds on them.
3rd- You are now a Fairy Duster! Write a story about who/what you encounter in the Sonoran Desert and gardens.
To Learn More About the Fairy Duster Explore the Sites Below! Fairy Duster (Images and Information)- http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/299/calliandra-eriophylla-fairyduster/ Fairy Duster (Image and Information)- http://herselfshoustongarden.com/2008/05/red-fairy-duster-calliandra-compacta.html blueplanetbiomes.org Fairy Duster (Images and Information)- http://blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral_plant_page.htm |
