Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Monkeypod


This blossom is on a plant in my backyard and I have been wondering what kind of plant it is ever since I moved here. I did some extensive searching using Google images and finally found what I think it is. It’s called Albizia Saman with an informal name of Monkeypod or sometimes Rain Tree. Everything I have read says that it is a tropical plant which makes me wonder what it is doing in Arizona and probably explains why I have not been able to find one like it at any local nurseries. What I read states that it grows into a huge tree but, mine is only a small shrub. Maybe it has been stunted by all the dry air.

10 comments:

  1. Hi Sharon
    I live in Yorkshire, England and cannot recall ever seeing any flower quite like this.
    Really nice photo, with your new camera.

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  2. Nice shot of the pretty red flower.

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  3. Looks like a Baja fairy duster (Calliandra californica) to me. I have two in my Phoenix yard.

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  4. Thanks Kathryn. I'll look for that. I just couldn't believe a tropical plant would grow here in the desert.

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  5. I just checked and you are so right. That is exactly what it is!

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  6. What a beautiful flower. Good to see it thriving :)

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  7. Yep. It is a Baja Fairy Duster. I have several and hummingbirds love them. I will post photos of them in the future.

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  8. Whatever it is, it's really pretty!

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  9. Definitely fairy duster, just trimmed ours back a few days ago

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