# Stickpeas (*calliandra*)

Stickpeas are fun and fluffy plants that look like they have tiny green pom-poms! They love to grow in sunny places and can be found in many gardens.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Stickpeas typically grow in warm, sunny climates, often found in gardens and parks.
- **Also known as:** Feathery Stick Plant, Fluffy Beans, Pom-Pom Plant

![Stickpeas](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Starr_071024-9938_Calliandra_haematocephala.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_071024-9938_Calliandra_haematocephala.jpg)

## Appearance

The Stickpeas has delicate, fern-like leaves and striking, fluffy flowers that resemble powder puffs or bottlebrushes. These vibrant blooms are typically bright red, pink, or white, creating a spectacular visual display that stands out against its green foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Caryophyllales
- **Family:** Amaranthaceae
- **Genus:** Salsola

## Interesting facts

- Did you know Stickpeas' flowers look like tiny fireworks exploding?
- Some Stickpeas plants fold their feathery leaves closed at night!
- Stickpeas are related to your yummy snack, peas, and green beans!
- Their 'powder puff' flowers are actually made of hundreds of tiny stamens.

## Special abilities

- **Soil Power-Up:** Stickpeas has special bacteria in its roots that helps it get nutrients from the soil, making it a strong grower.
- **Pollinator Beacon:** Stickpeas can attract many insects and birds with its bright, showy flowers, helping them find food and spread pollen.
- **Drought Defender:** Many Stickpeas species can tolerate dry periods, helping them survive even when water is scarce.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-300 cm
- **Spread:** 100-250 cm
- **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — attracted to the bright blooms
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — helps the plant get nutrients from soil
- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — sometimes browse on leaves and young shoots

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

Always ask an adult before touching unfamiliar plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Stickpeas?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Stickpeas?

100-300 cm

### How wide does Stickpeas spread?

100-250 cm

### How big are the flowers on Stickpeas?

3-5 cm

### When does Stickpeas bloom?

Spring to Fall

### Is Stickpeas edible?

No

### Is Stickpeas toxic?

None

### What is Stickpeas's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Cherry Tree Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cherry-tree-park) — Florida, US · Park
- [Sano Botanical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sano-botanical-park) — Kyushu, JP · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Stickpeas: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/stickpeas)