Stansbury's cliffrose facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stansbury's cliffrose |
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Purshia
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stansburyana
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Stansbury's cliffrose (scientific name: Purshia stansburyana) is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the rose family, just like the roses you might see in a garden! This plant is often called a "cliffrose" because it loves to grow on cliffs.
You can find Stansbury's cliffrose in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It grows in many places, like forests, deserts, and high plateaus. It especially likes rocky ground, particularly areas with limestone.
Contents
What Does Stansbury's Cliffrose Look Like?
Stansbury's cliffrose is usually a shrub, which is a bushy plant. It typically grows about 3 to 10 feet (1 to 3 meters) tall. Sometimes, it can grow much taller, up to 26 feet (8 meters), and look more like a small tree!
Its bark is shreddy, meaning it peels off in strips. The leaves are small, thick, and have a bumpy feel. They are divided into several parts, almost like tiny fingers. The top side of the leaves has small dots.
Flowers and Fruit
This shrub produces many white or cream-colored flowers. These flowers have a strong, sweet smell that fills the air! Stansbury's cliffrose blooms for a long time, from spring until the first frost of winter.
After the flowers, the plant makes a special kind of fruit called an achene. This fruit has a long, feathery tail, like a small plume. The plume can be up to 2.4 inches (6 centimeters) long. The wind helps spread these seeds far away. Animals like small rodents also carry the seeds, sometimes burying them.
How Does It Survive Dry Weather?
Stansbury's cliffrose is very good at living in dry places. It can handle long periods without much rain. In fact, young plants might even grow better in years when there isn't much rain. This shows how tough and adaptable this plant is!
How Is Stansbury's Cliffrose Used?
Stansbury's cliffrose is an important plant for many reasons. It provides food and shelter for both wild animals and farm animals.
Food for Animals
Many wild animals love to eat the leaves and branches of this shrub. These animals include large ungulates like elk, mule deer, and desert bighorn sheep. Farm animals, like livestock, also eat it.
Birds and rodents enjoy eating the seeds of the cliffrose. Rodents often bury the seeds underground to save them for later. Sometimes, these buried seeds sprout and grow into new plants!
Uses by People
People use Stansbury's cliffrose for different purposes. It's often planted in areas where the land has been damaged. This helps bring the natural habitat back to life. It's also grown as an ornamental plant in gardens because of its pretty flowers and sweet smell.
Long ago, Native American groups used this plant in many ways. They used the bark to make strong fibers for clothing, bedding, and rope. The branches were also used to make arrows for hunting.
Images for kids
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A close-up of Stansbury's cliffrose flowers.
See also
In Spanish: Purshia stansburyana para niños
