Golden bartonia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden bartonia |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Mentzelia
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| Species: |
lindleyi
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The Mentzelia lindleyi, often called golden bartonia or blazing star, is a beautiful wildflower. It's an annual plant, which means it grows from a seed, blooms, produces new seeds, and then dies all within one year. This plant is native to western North America.
Where It Grows
This golden wildflower is found in several parts of the California Coast Ranges, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the San Joaquin Valley in California. You can also find it growing naturally in Arizona.
It likes to live in certain natural areas, such as Coastal sage scrub (a type of shrubland near the coast) and Southern oak woodlands (forests with oak trees).
What It Looks Like
The Mentzelia lindleyi plant can grow to be about 1 to 3 feet (0.3 to 0.9 meters) tall.
It produces bright yellow flowers that are quite large, about 3 inches (7.6 cm) across. Each flower has five petals. A single plant can have many flowers, sometimes as many as 25 to 35!
Growing It Yourself
Because it's such a pretty wildflower, Mentzelia lindleyi is often grown in gardens. People plant it as an ornamental plant, which means it's grown just for its beauty.
You might see it in regular flower beds, or in special gardens like:
- Drought-tolerant gardens: These gardens use plants that don't need much water, which is great for saving water.
- Habitat gardens: These gardens are designed to provide food and shelter for local wildlife.
- Desert rock gardens: These are gardens that mimic desert landscapes, often with rocks and plants that thrive in dry conditions.
The golden bartonia is also a great pollinator plant. This means its flowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, which helps them collect nectar and spread pollen. If you want to grow it, this plant prefers sandy soil in your garden.
