Podocarpus elatus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Podocarpus elatus |
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| drawing by Margaret Flockton | |
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| Genus: |
Podocarpus
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| Species: |
elatus
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The plum pine, also known as the brown pine or Illawarra plum, is a special type of tree called Podocarpus elatus. This tree grows naturally only along the east coast of Australia. You can find it in eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland.
This tree is an evergreen tree, which means its leaves stay green all year round. It can grow quite tall, reaching heights of 30 to 36 meters, which is about as tall as a 10-story building! Its trunk can also become very wide, up to 1.5 meters across. The leaves are long and narrow, usually 5 to 15 centimeters long. On younger, fast-growing trees, the leaves can be even longer, up to 25 centimeters.
The plum pine produces unique seed cones. These cones are dark blue-purple and look a bit like berries. They have a soft, fleshy base that is about 2 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Each cone usually holds a single oval-shaped seed about 1 centimeter across.
Contents
What are Plum Pines Used For?
Plum pines are useful trees for several reasons. People have used different parts of this tree for food, wood, and even as a beautiful plant in gardens.
Edible Parts of the Tree
The fleshy part of the plum pine's seed cone is safe to eat. It has been used to make tasty condiments. This means it can be added to food to give it a special flavor.
Valuable Timber
The wood from the plum pine is very strong and was highly valued. People used it to make furniture and for joinery, which is how wood pieces are put together. It was also used for boat planking, which are the wooden boards that make up the sides of a boat. The timber was even used for lining buildings and for piles in salt water, showing how durable it is.
Ornamental Tree
The plum pine is also a very attractive tree to look at. Because of its beauty, it is often planted as an ornamental tree in gardens and along streets. For example, in older suburbs of Australia, like Baldry Street in Chatswood, you can see plum pines planted as street trees.
Gallery
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Young plum pine leaves
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The trunk of a plum pine tree
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Plum pine leaves and seeds on their fleshy bases
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A plum pine growing in a rainforest near the coast
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Plum pine bark and leaves
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Close-up of plum pine bark
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Two plum pine seed stems that grew together
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Plum pine seeds
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A plum pine seed starting to grow
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Plum pines on Baldry Street in Chatswood
See also
In Spanish: Podocarpus elatus para niños
