Tree smokebush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tree smokebush |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Conospermum
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| Species: |
triplinervium
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The tree smokebush or elk smokebush (scientific name: Conospermum triplinervium) is a special kind of tree or shrub. It grows only in Western Australia, meaning it's endemic there.
Contents
Discovering the Tree Smokebush
What the Tree Smokebush Looks Like
This plant can grow from about 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) tall, which is like a small bush, up to 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) tall, which is more like a small tree. It has an upright shape. The tree smokebush produces beautiful cream-white flowers. These flowers bloom mostly during summer, from August to November or January. Each plant can have around 50 flowering stems, which are covered in soft, white, hairy flowers. Some of these plants have broad leaves, and their branches can either hang down or stand up straight.
Where the Tree Smokebush Grows
You can find the tree smokebush in sandy areas and places that get wet in winter. It grows along the coast in several regions of Western Australia. These regions include the Mid West, Wheatbelt, Peel, and Great Southern. It prefers sandy soils that are on top of a type of rock called laterite.
How We Learned About It
The tree smokebush was first officially described by a botanist named Robert Brown. He wrote about it in 1830 in his work called Proteaceas Novas. Supplementum primum prodromi florae Novae Hollandiae. Sometimes, plants have different names or slight variations. For the tree smokebush, there are two other names that were used in the past: Conospermum laniflorum and Conospermum triplinervium var. triplinervium.
Why the Tree Smokebush is Useful
The tree smokebush is useful for a few reasons. It can be grown to produce cut flowers, which means its flowers are picked to be used in bouquets. It gives a good amount of flowers, so it's a good plant for this purpose.
It can also be used as food for animals, which is called animal fodder. An old book from 1889, 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia', mentioned that people sometimes called it "Native Orange" or "Orange Thorn." A famous botanist named Baron Mueller suggested that this plant could grow in very dry, desert-like areas. He noted that farm animals like sheep and cows love to eat the long, soft, and fuzzy flower-stalks and flower spikes. What's interesting is that the animals eat the flowers but usually leave the leaves alone. This means they don't destroy the whole plant when they graze on it.
