Vitex lignum-vitae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vitex lignum-vitae |
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| Vitex lignum-vitae in Coffs Harbour Botanic Garden | |
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Vitex
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| Species: |
lignum-vitae
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The Vitex lignum-vitae is a special rainforest tree. In Australia, people often call it the yellow hollywood tree. It's also known as "lignum-vitae". This tree grows naturally in the rainforests of eastern Australia. You can find it from the Richmond River in New South Wales all the way up to Cape York Peninsula. It also grows in New Guinea.
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What Does the Yellow Hollywood Tree Look Like?
This tree can be small or medium-sized. It can grow up to 30 metres tall. Its trunk can be as wide as 90 centimetres. The trunk is usually creamy or brown. It has lines and cracks across it. The bark peels off in small pieces. Older, larger trees might have a wider, uneven base.
Leaves of the Tree
Young trees or new shoots have special leaves. These leaves are often lobed or angled. But the mature leaves are different. They grow in pairs, are simple, and have a shiny surface. They don't have teeth along their edges. These leaves are usually 5 to 13 centimetres long. They are often wider at the top. The leaf stalks are about 15 to 25 millimetres long. They are a bit hairy and grooved on top. You can see the network of veins on the underside of the leaves. Small, raised, hairy bumps can be found where the main vein meets the bigger side veins. The tree's small branches are grey and hairy. They look a bit square when you cut them.
Flowers and Fruit
The yellow hollywood tree has pale purple flowers. These flowers grow in clusters. You can see them at different times of the year. They often appear around April. The fruit of this tree is a red, fleshy fruit called a drupe. It is about 8 to 12 millimetres wide. Inside the fruit is a hard, round capsule. This capsule has four small sections. Each section can hold a seed. The fruit ripens between November and April. Birds love to eat these fruits. Some birds that enjoy them are the green catbird and the rose-crowned fruit dove.
How New Trees Grow
Growing new yellow hollywood trees from seeds can be very slow. It is also quite difficult. The soft, fleshy part around the seed needs to be removed. After that, you might have to wait a long time. Roots and shoots can take two or more years to appear!
