Mexican alpinegold facts for kids

Hulsea mexicana, also known as the Mexican alpinegold or Mexican hulsea, is a special kind of flowering plant. It belongs to the daisy family, which includes many familiar flowers like sunflowers and dandelions! This plant is quite rare and is only found in a small area.

Where Does It Grow?

This unique plant lives in a specific part of North America. You can find it near the border between Mexico and the United States. Specifically, it grows in northern Baja California in Mexico. In the U.S., it's found in southern California, in places like Imperial County and San Diego County.

Preferred Growing Spots

Hulsea mexicana likes to grow in certain types of environments. It thrives in areas called chaparral, which are dry shrublands. It also grows in yellow pine forests and other open, sunny habitats. You can find this plant at elevations ranging from about 900 meters (3,000 feet) up to 2,700 meters (9,000 feet) above sea level. The very first plants of this species that scientists collected were found on the Mexican side of the border.

What Does It Look Like?

Hulsea mexicana is usually an annual or biennial herb. This means it lives for one or two growing seasons. It can grow quite tall, sometimes reaching up to 100 centimeters (about 39 inches) in height.

Leaves and Flowers

Most of the leaves on this plant grow along its stem, rather than in a big cluster at the bottom. Each Hulsea mexicana plant typically produces a few flower heads, usually between three and five. Each flower head is beautiful, featuring 20 to 35 bright ray flowers. These ray flowers look like petals and surround a large number of tiny disc flowers in the center.