Jacksonia scoparia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jacksonia scoparia |
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| Flowering Jacksonia scoparia | |
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J. scoparia
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| Jacksonia scoparia |
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Piptomeris scoparia (R.Br. ex Sm.) E.Greene |
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Jacksonia scoparia, often called dogwood, is a special type of plant found in eastern Australia. It's a shrub or a small tree that looks a bit like a broom, with greyish branches and almost no leaves. This plant gets its common name, dogwood, because of its strong smell when it burns. It grows naturally in the southeast part of Queensland, Australia and eastern New South Wales.
What it Looks Like
Jacksonia scoparia can grow as a shrub or a small tree. It can reach up to 12 meters (about 39 feet) tall. Its bark is grey and feels rough, with many grooves or lines on it.
How it Got its Name
A Scottish botanist named Robert Brown first described the dogwood plant in 1811. He wrote about it in a book called Rees's Cyclopædia. The plant material he studied was sent to Kew Garden by John White and George Caley.
The name of the plant group, Jacksonia, honors a botanist named George Jackson. The second part of its name, scoparia, comes from how its branches look. They are similar to a plant called Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius).
A place in Queensland, Dogwood Creek, was named after this plant. Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt saw many of these plants there on October 23, 1844. He was on an expedition from Moreton Bay to Port Essington.
Where it Grows
You can often find Jacksonia scoparia growing on high, open ridges. It is common in and around the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park in the Northern Tablelands (New South Wales). Its bright yellow, pea-shaped flowers appear in October and November. They grow in clusters along the upper branches of the plant.
Uses and Growing Tips
Jacksonia scoparia is a great plant for gardens because it produces so many flowers. People started growing it in England as early as 1803. You can plant it in sunny spots or places that get some shade.
During times of drought (when there is very little rain), dogwood has been a useful food source for cattle. Cows really enjoy eating it.
Growing new dogwood plants from seeds is quite easy. You just need to treat the seeds with boiling water first. This is a common trick for many plants in the pea family. You can also grow new plants from cuttings, which means taking a piece of the plant and helping it grow roots.
