Redwood inside-out flower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Redwood inside-out flower |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Vancouveria
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| Species: |
planipetala
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The Vancouveria planipetala, also known as the redwood inside-out flower or redwood ivy, is a cool flowering plant. It belongs to the barberry family. This plant gets its common name "inside-out flower" because its petals bend backwards, making it look a bit unusual!
Contents
Where Does It Grow?
This special plant lives in the wild in parts of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. You can find it in places like the Klamath Mountains and the northern California Coast Ranges.
It loves to grow in forests, especially the tall, misty Coast redwood forests. These forests are its natural home.
What Does It Look Like?
The redwood inside-out flower is a perennial plant. This means it lives for many years, not just one season. It has a short stem that mostly stays underground. It also spreads using underground stems called rhizomes. This helps it form patches of plants.
Its leaves grow from the base of the plant. Each leaf is made up of several smaller, round, or heart-shaped parts called leaflets. These leaflets sit on long, reddish stems called petioles.
Flowers and How They Grow
The flowers of the redwood inside-out flower usually appear in May and June. They grow on a tall, straight stalk called a peduncle. Many small flowers grow together on this stalk, forming a cluster called a panicle.
Each flower hangs downwards and is quite small. It has six inner parts that look like petals, but they are actually sepals. These sepals are white and bend backwards, away from the center of the flower.
Behind these sepals are the true petals. They are smaller, white, or sometimes have a hint of purple. The tips of these petals are flat or slightly notched. Inside the flower, there are six stamens, which produce pollen, and a large ovary, which will develop into the plant's fruit.
Growing in Gardens
People sometimes grow Vancouveria planipetala in their gardens because it's a beautiful ornamental plant. It's a great choice for native plant gardens or wildlife gardens, as it fits right in with the local environment.
Images for kids
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A close-up of the redwood inside-out flower.
