Purple torch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Purple torch |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Bartlettina |
| Species: |
B. sordida
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| Binomial name | |
| Bartlettina sordida (Less.) R.M.King & H.Rob.
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| Synonyms | |
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Eupatorium megalophyllum (Lem.) N.E. Br. |
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Bartlettina sordida, often called the purple torch or blue mist flower, is a lovely plant with bright flowers. It grows naturally only in the misty cloud forests of Mexico. This plant used to be in a different plant group called Eupatorium.
Contents
About the Purple Torch Plant
The purple torch plant is an evergreen shrub. This means it stays green all year round. It grows straight up and can reach about 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall. It can also spread out to about 4 feet (1.2 meters) wide.
How It Looks
Bartlettina sordida has branches that are a reddish-purple color. Its dark green leaves feel a little rough. You can easily see the lines, or veins, on the leaves. The underside of the leaves is a lighter color. These leaves are quite big! They can be up to 10 inches (25 cm) long and 8 inches (20 cm) wide.
Its Amazing Flowers
The plant's flowers grow in large clusters at the ends of its branches. These clusters can be 20–30 cm (8–12 inches) across. The big groups of sweet-smelling flowers appear in the spring. Their colors can be mauve, lilac, or even a beautiful magenta-blue. The flower clusters look like bursting fireworks! After the flowers, the seeds have a fluffy top called a pappus. This makes it easy for the wind to carry the seeds far away.
Growing Purple Torch
People grow Bartlettina sordida as an ornamental plant. This means it's grown for its beauty in gardens and parks. These plants are great for pollinators, especially butterflies, who love to visit them.
Where It Grows Best
This plant likes places with bright, dappled shade. It also needs soil that is moist but drains water well. The soil should have lots of organic matter, like compost. The purple torch plant does not like cold weather. It can be damaged if the temperature drops below 25–30°F (1–3°C).
How to Grow More Plants
You can grow new purple torch plants from seeds. You can also grow them from cuttings. Cuttings are small pieces of the plant taken in autumn or winter. You can also use pieces cut off after the plant flowers in late spring.
Being a Good Neighbor (or Not!)
In some parts of Australia, the purple torch plant has "escaped" from gardens. This means its seeds have spread into the wild. In places with enough moisture, it can become a weed. It can even become an invasive species. This means it grows so well that it can take over areas and harm local plants.
See also
In Spanish: Bartlettina sordida para niños
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