Polemonium viscosum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Polemonium viscosum |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Polemonium
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| Species: |
viscosum
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The Polemonium viscosum, often called sky pilot, is a cool flowering plant. People also know it as skunkweed or sticky Jacobs-ladder. It gets these names because it can feel a bit sticky and sometimes has a strong smell. This plant grows naturally in western North America. You can find it from southern British Columbia in Canada all the way down to Arizona and New Mexico in the United States. It loves to grow high up in the mountains, usually on dry, rocky ground.
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What is the Sky Pilot Plant?
The sky pilot plant is a type of perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years, coming back to life each spring. It is also a herbaceous plant, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree.
Where Sky Pilot Grows
This plant is found in many places across western North America. Its natural home stretches from southern British Columbia in Canada, east to Montana, and south to Arizona and New Mexico. It prefers to live in tough places, like high up in the mountains. You will often see it on dry, rocky slopes where other plants might struggle.
What Sky Pilot Looks Like
The sky pilot plant usually grows to be about 10 to 30 centimeters (4 to 12 inches) tall. That's about the height of a ruler!
Its Leaves
Its leaves are quite interesting. They can be up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) long. Each leaf is made up of many tiny, spoon-shaped leaflets. These small parts are only about 1.5 to 6 millimeters long and 1 to 3 millimeters wide. They are packed closely together on the main leaf stem.
Its Flowers
The sky pilot plant has beautiful purple flowers. Each flower is about 17 to 25 millimeters (0.7 to 1 inch) long. These bright flowers stand out against the rocky mountain backgrounds where the plant lives.
How People Use Sky Pilot
Even though it grows in wild, rocky places, the sky pilot plant is also grown by people. It is a popular ornamental plant for rock gardens. People like to plant it because of its pretty purple flowers and its ability to grow well in rocky, dry conditions. It adds a touch of wild beauty to gardens.
