Rusty plum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rusty plum |
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| new red leaves of the rusty plum | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Niemeyera
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| Species: |
whitei
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| Synonyms | |
The rusty plum or plum boxwood is a special and rare tree. Its scientific name is Niemeyera whitei. You can find it in eastern Australia. This tree often grows in places with poorer soil. It likes areas below 600 meters (about 2,000 feet) above sea level. It lives in gully, warm temperate, or coastal rainforests. Its home stretches from the Macleay River in New South Wales up to Tallebudgera Creek in south-eastern Queensland.
What Does the Rusty Plum Look Like?
The rusty plum is a small to medium-sized tree. It can grow up to 20 meters (about 65 feet) tall. Its trunk can be as wide as 50 centimeters (about 20 inches). When you look at the leaves from below, they have a rusty color.
The trunk of the tree is not perfectly round. It's often bumpy and has grooves. The bark is creamy grey and feels a bit like cork. It's not smooth at all! The bark peels off in round pieces, leaving bumps and pits. The smaller branches are thick. They are covered in rusty-colored hairs. If you break a branch, a white, milky sap will appear.
The leaves are usually 5 to 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches) long. They are 2 to 5 centimeters (1 to 2 inches) wide. They grow one after another along the stem. Their edges are smooth, meaning they don't have any jagged teeth. The top of the leaf is smooth and green. The underside is paler and covered with rusty hairs. You can see the leaf veins clearly on the underside. There are 12 to 15 side veins. They branch off the main vein at an angle of about 45 to 60 degrees.
Flowers, Fruit, and Life Cycle
The rusty plum tree produces creamy green flowers. These flowers grow in clusters. They usually appear from September to October. Some parts of the flowers also have a rusty brown color.
The fruit of the rusty plum is a berry. It is quite large, about 2 to 7 centimeters (1 to 3 inches) across. When the fruit first appears, it is red. Then, it changes color to purple and finally black when it's ripe. Inside the fruit, there is usually one large, round seed. Sometimes, there are two seeds. The seed is 2 to 3 centimeters (1 to 1.2 inches) wide. It is surrounded by pink, edible flesh.
One side of the seed has a shiny, eye-shaped scar. This scar is 1 to 2.5 centimeters (0.4 to 1 inch) long. Most of the seed is covered with light brownish fuzz. But the scar itself is smooth and shiny, a mid-brown color. The fruit ripens from September to November.
Growing new trees from seeds can take up to six months. For the best chance of success, it's a good idea to soak the seeds. You should also peel them before planting. Usually, all the seeds will sprout and grow into new plants.
