Wallum bottlebrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wallum bottlebrush |
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| M. pachylla in the greenhouse of Ruhr University Bochum. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melaleuca
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| Species: |
pachyphylla
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| Synonyms | |
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Callistemon pachyphyllus Cheel |
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The Wallum bottlebrush (scientific name: Melaleuca pachyphylla) is a cool plant from the myrtle family. You can find it growing naturally along the coasts of New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It's known for its bright red, or sometimes greenish, flowers that look just like a bottlebrush! This plant is a medium-sized shrub that tends to spread out.
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What Does the Wallum Bottlebrush Look Like?
The Wallum bottlebrush is a shrub that can grow up to 3 m (10 ft) (about 10 feet) tall. Its leaves are placed one after another along the stem. They are usually long and narrow, about 25–119 mm (1–5 in) (1 to 4.5 inches) long and 3–15 mm (0.1–0.6 in) (0.1 to 0.6 inches) wide. Each leaf has a clear middle vein and many smaller side veins.
The flowers are usually a bright crimson red, but sometimes they can be greenish-yellow. They grow in spikes at the ends of branches, and also along the sides. These flower spikes are about 45–65 mm (2–3 in) (1.8 to 2.5 inches) wide and have 30 to 90 individual flowers on each spike. The petals are small, about 3.5–6.9 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long, and they fall off as the flower gets older. Each flower has many stamens (the parts that produce pollen), usually between 27 and 45.
This plant blooms in the summer. After the flowers fade, they are followed by small, woody fruits called capsules. These capsules are about 3.9–7.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) (0.15 to 0.3 inches) long.
How It Got Its Name
The scientific name Melaleuca pachyphylla was officially described in 2006 by a scientist named Lyndley Craven. The second part of its name, pachyphylla, comes from two Greek words: pakhús which means "thick," and phýllon which means "leaf." So, its name basically means "thick-leaved melaleuca," which makes sense because its leaves are quite thick!
You might also hear this plant called Callistemon pachyphyllus. Some plant experts still use this name, but others consider Melaleuca pachyphylla to be the correct one.
Where Does It Grow?
The Wallum bottlebrush grows in coastal areas of Australia. You can find it from Port Stephens in New South Wales all the way up to Hervey Bay in Queensland. It likes to grow in moist ground in a type of habitat called "wallum." Wallum areas are usually sandy, wet places found near the coast.
Growing Wallum Bottlebrush
The Wallum bottlebrush is sometimes grown in gardens, often under its older name, Callistemon pachyphyllus. It's a tough plant that can grow well even in soil that doesn't drain very well, as long as it gets plenty of sunshine. This makes it a good choice for certain garden spots.
