Deep yellowwood facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deep yellowwood
Lobed juvenile foliage of Deep Yellow Wood
Scientific classification
Genus:	Rhodosphaera
Species:	rhodanthema

Rhodosphaera is a special group of plants. It belongs to the Anacardiaceae family, which also includes plants like cashews and mangoes! This group has only one known species, called Rhodosphaera rhodanthema.

This amazing plant is a rainforest tree found in eastern Australia. You can see it growing in both wet, subtropical rainforests and slightly drier rainforest areas. Its natural home stretches from the Macleay River in New South Wales up to Maryborough in southeast Queensland. People often call this tree by other names like deep yellowwood, yellow cedar, or tulip satinwood.

Meet the Deep Yellowwood Tree

The Deep Yellowwood is a medium-sized tree. It can grow up to about 25 meters (that's like an eight-story building!). Its trunk can be as wide as 75 centimeters, which is almost a meter across! The trunk is usually straight and round. At the bottom, it might have wider parts called "buttressing," which help the tree stay strong. Its bark is dark brown and looks a bit scaly.

Leaves of the Yellowwood

When the tree is young, its leaves are lobed. This means they have rounded sections, a bit like an oak leaf. But as the tree gets older, its leaves change. Mature leaves are "pinnate." This means they have a main stem with smaller leaflets growing off it. Each mature leaf has about six to twelve leaflets. These leaflets are usually 4 to 7 centimeters long and 1 to 2 centimeters wide. They are mostly opposite each other on the stem. The leaflets are oval-shaped with a slightly blunt tip. Sometimes, they have tiny bumps on the edges, but usually, the edges are smooth. The main vein of the leaf sticks out a little on both sides.

Flowers and Fruit

Beautiful red flowers appear on the tree from September to October. They grow in clusters called "panicles." Interestingly, some trees might have only male flowers, while others have only female flowers.

After the flowers, the tree produces shiny, dark brown fruits. These fruits are called "drupes," which are like small stone fruits. Each one is about 1 centimeter wide. Inside the fruit, there's one flat seed, about 9 millimeters long. The fruits are ready to eat (for animals, not people!) from February to June.

Growing New Trees

It takes a while for new Deep Yellowwood trees to grow from seeds, but it usually works! If you want to help the seeds sprout faster, it's a good idea to gently scratch or file the seed coat. This helps water get inside and tells the seed it's time to grow.

Why This Tree is Special

The wood from the Deep Yellowwood tree is highly valued. It's a lovely yellow color, has a fine grain, and beautiful patterns. This makes it great for furniture and other woodworking projects. Besides its useful timber, the Rhodosphaera rhodanthema is also a very attractive tree. It makes a wonderful addition to parks and large gardens because of its pretty leaves and flowers.

Images for kids

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  Rhodosphaera rhodanthema - leaves and flower panicle

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  drawing by Margaret Flockton