Common correa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common correa |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Correa
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| Species: |
reflexa
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Correa reflexa, often called common correa or native fuchsia, is a special shrub that grows only in Australia. It's known for its pretty, bell-shaped flowers.
What it Looks Like
This plant comes in many shapes and sizes. It can be a low-growing plant that spreads along the ground, or it can grow up to 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall.
Its leaves are usually oval. They are about 1 to 5 centimeters long. If you look closely, you might see tiny oil glands and soft hairs on their surface.
The flowers hang down like little bells. They are tube-shaped and can be up to 4 centimeters long. Each flower has four tips that flare out. The color of the flowers can be different, including pale green, or red with yellow tips.
How it Got its Name
Scientists give plants special names to help identify them. This plant was first described in 1800 by a botanist named Jacques Labillardière. He found it in Adventure Bay in southern Tasmania. He gave it the name Mazeutoxeron reflexum.
Later, in 1803, another botanist named Étienne Pierre Ventenat moved it to the plant group called Correa. This is how it got its current name, Correa reflexa.
There are many different types, or "varieties," of Correa reflexa. Some of these varieties are:
- C. reflexa var. angustifolia (Grampians correa)
- C. reflexa var. nummulariifolia (roundleaf correa)
- C. reflexa var. reflexa (the most common type)
- C. reflexa var. speciosa (eastern correa)
Growing Correa reflexa
If you want to grow Correa reflexa, it likes soil that drains well. It also prefers a spot with some shade, not too much direct sun. This plant usually does best in cooler areas and might not grow well in very hot, tropical places.
To help the plant grow bushier and have more flowers next season, you can trim its tips after it finishes flowering. Correa reflexa usually doesn't have many problems with pests or diseases.
It can be a bit tricky to grow this plant from seeds. However, it's much easier to grow new plants from cuttings. This means taking a small piece of a healthy plant and helping it grow roots.
Correa reflexa is so beautiful and easy to grow that it has even won an award! The Royal Horticultural Society gave it their Award of Garden Merit. This award means it's a great plant for gardens.
See also
In Spanish: Common Correa para niños
