Plant Family: Belongs to the Mimosaceae family, which includes the imposing Saman (Samanea saman) and Woman's Tongue (Albizia lebbek).

Description: Fast growing, low branching, small tree or shrub with multiple thin stems and dense foliage, up to 5 m tall (16 ft) but more commonly half that size; large specimen on left of road going north to Gardens Main Gate; leaves usually bipinnate, with 7-14 pairs of oblong leaflets, each 10-17 mm long (0.4-0.7 in) and 3-5 mm wide (0.1-0.2 in); flowers axillary, compound, 6-8 cm across (2-3 in), fragrant and showy; look like powderpuffs due to mass of long filaments; filaments white at base and pink or red above (in contrast to the regular Powderpuff, C. purpurea, which is all red or red-purple); extent of white may vary; filaments 3-4 cm long (1.2-1.6 in); fruit a flat pod, first green then turning brown, 7-15 cm long (3-6 in), and 8-13 mm broad (0.3-0.5 in), containing 5-6 seeds; profuse flowering throughout year.

Natural Habitat: Well drained soil in full sun or partial shade; but will grow on a range of soil types and is drought resistant; propagation by seed or cutting.

Origin and Distribution: Native to tropical S. America; distributed variously in tropics and sub-tropics; found throughout Caribbean

Uses: Primarily a specimen ornamental, can also be trained as a hedge.

References:
Calliandra surinamensis. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER), USDA Forest Service, Albany, California, n.d. (hear.org)
Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson. Calliadra surinamensis, Pink Powderpuff. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 1993 (hort.ifas.ufl.edu)
Robert A. DeFilipps. Useful Plants of the Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 1998