Elk clover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elk clover |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Aralia
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| Species: |
californica
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Aralia californica, often called elk clover, is a very large plant. Even though it's called "clover," it's not actually a clover! It belongs to the Araliaceae family, which is the same family as ginseng. This plant is special because it's the only member of the ginseng family that grows naturally in California and southwestern Oregon. People also call it California aralia or California spikenard.
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What Does Elk Clover Look Like?
This plant is a deciduous herb that comes back every year. It can grow very tall, reaching about 2 to 3 meters (6 to 10 feet) high. Its stems are thick but not woody like a tree trunk.
The plant has huge green leaves that can be 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) long and 1 meter (3 feet) wide! Each large leaf is made up of many smaller leaflets. These leaflets are usually 15 to 30 centimeters (6 to 12 inches) long. They grow in pairs along the stem, with one extra leaflet at the very end.
Elk clover produces greenish-white flowers. These flowers grow in big, round clusters called umbels, which can be 30 to 45 centimeters (12 to 18 inches) across. Each tiny flower is only 2 to 3 millimeters wide. After the flowers bloom, they turn into small, dark purple or black berries. Each berry is about 3 to 5 millimeters wide and holds 3 to 5 seeds inside.
Where Does Elk Clover Grow?
You can find elk clover all over western and central California, and also in Oregon. It likes places that are cooler and have more moisture. It's especially common in northern California, like in the San Francisco Bay Area. Birds enjoy eating the berries from this plant.
How People Have Used Elk Clover
Sometimes, people use this plant in place of other similar plants from its family that are used as herbal remedies. For example, it can be used instead of American spikenard or Japanese spikenard.
Historically, some people made a special preparation from the root of this plant. They used it to help with swelling (as an anti-inflammatory). It was also used to calm coughs (as a cough suppressant) and to help with arthritis, which is a condition that causes joint pain.
The Concow tribe, a Native American group, has their own name for this plant: mâl-ē-mē. They speak the Konkow language.
Images for kids
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Flowers of Aralia californica
