Limnanthes douglasii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Limnanthes douglasii |
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Limnanthes
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douglasii
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Limnanthes douglasii is a pretty flowering plant often called Douglas' meadowfoam or the poached egg plant. It's an annual plant, meaning it grows, flowers, and dies within one year. You can find it naturally in California and Oregon, especially in wet, grassy places like spring meadows. It can even grow in tough clay soils! A Scottish explorer and botanist named David Douglas found this plant in the 1820s.
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Discover Douglas' Meadowfoam
What is Douglas' Meadowfoam?
This lovely plant is part of the Limnanthaceae family, also known as the meadowfoam family. It loves wet areas and often grows near vernal pools, which are temporary pools of water that appear in spring. The plant was named after David Douglas, who explored and studied plants on the west coast of America a long time ago.
Why is it Called 'Poached Egg Plant'?
Most Limnanthes douglasii flowers look like a perfect poached egg! They usually have bright white petals with a sunny yellow center. This is how it got its fun nickname. However, not all flowers are exactly the same. Some can have different colors depending on their specific type.
A Favorite in Gardens
This plant is very popular for gardens because it's so pretty and easy to grow. It's known as an ornamental plant, which means people grow it just for its beauty. It's also great for nature! It attracts helpful insects like hoverflies and is pollinated by bees, which helps other plants too. A cool thing about this plant is that it can reseed itself, even in your lawn. This means it drops its own seeds and new plants can grow the next year without you doing anything!
The Limnanthes douglasii has even won a special prize called the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. This award means it's an excellent plant for gardens.
Different Kinds of Meadowfoam
There are actually six different types, or subspecies, of Limnanthes douglasii. They are all a bit different, often in where they grow or the exact color of their flowers.
- L. douglasii subsp. douglasii grows in the coastal mountains and valleys of southwestern Oregon down to the San Francisco Bay Area.
- L. douglasii subsp. nivea has mostly white flowers and grows in the coastal mountains of northern California.
- L. douglasii subsp. ornduffii is special because it usually has 4 petals instead of the usual 5. You can only find it in San Mateo County, California.
- L. douglasii subsp. rosea is found in California's Central Valley and nearby hills. Its petals often have pretty pink lines.
- L. douglasii subsp. sulphurea is a rare type with yellow petals. It only grows in the Bay Area.
- L. douglasii subsp. striata grows in the Klamath range and the northern and central Sierra Nevada mountains.
