Bamboo
Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) is an ancient Asian grass. Bamboo grows in large clumps and can be up to 40 yards tall. It grows in all sorts of environments but is naturally from Asia. Bamboo is a flowering grass which means that it will flower and produce seeds in its lifetime. After a bamboo flowers and produces seeds, it dies. The seeds that it produce are roughly the size of rice kernels. When bamboo stalks seed they produce a lot of seeds. Which means that one 40 sq yd clump can produce 300 lbs of seeds! That's because if bamboo only produced a couple of seeds per stalk they would all be eaten by seed predators (birds, rats, etc). Because bamboo only seeds once and that can not be for 10-120 years bamboo reproduces vegitatively. That means that a part of the root called the rhizome sends off runners that produce an exact copy of the "mother" bamboo. Some bamboo forests can be traced back to a single stalk!
Cherry Blossom
Cherry blossoms (Prunus Serotina) are a celebrated tree in China. They are beautiful trees with pink blossoms and sweet fruit. They are in the angiosperm plant group because they produce fruit and flowers. Cherry blossoms can grow to the height of 35-50 feet. We recommend that you come see the cherry blossom in the eastern corner of the zoo. We have recently seen tiny saplings growing. The flowers cover the path when they fall with a hazy pink sight and a sweet cherry smell.
Redwood
Redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum) are the worlds biggest living thing. Come see natures largest living thing in the tree section of the zoo. Redwoods are know for their reddish brownish bark. Enjoy the shade provided by these 300 foot giants. A redwood can live over 3,000If you want to come see these giants come to Zootastic and go see the tree section.
Tomato
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)tis a very complex organism. Most plants are green right?... well the tomato is red, bright red. It has toxic leaves and stems. The harvest season is usually in the summer, but farmers have to plant this plant in the winter so that they bloom on time. Most people don't really think that a tomato is that important. But it is important. We are very proud to hold tomatoes in our zoo. The tomatoes are in full bloom people, come over to take a look at these delicious plants.
Weeping Willow
Weeping willows (Salix sepulcralis) are trees that are mostly found near water. They are gorgeous trees. A lot of people think weeping willows look like the tree is crying, or weeping, because of it's branches. It's branches and leaves droop, but it's a lot prettier than it sounds. We have two full grown weeping willows, a medium grown willow, and we have just planted a new one. Take a nice walk through the tree exhibit and have a look at this lovely tree.
Venus Flytrap
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a very unique plant because it is carnivorous! That means it eats any type of bug that can fit in its mouth. Venus flytraps are Native to the Carolin's because of its warm climate and sustainable winters. Venus flytraps can grow up to one foot tall. Venus flytraps do not need a lot to eat because they traps get all of their energy from the sunlight and nutrients they absorb. Each stalk can digest two to three bugs before the stem turns brown and falls off, but in the next three weeks or so, a new stalk will start growing to replenish it. Venus fly traps go through a stage called dormancy during the winter which means all of their "arms" will get brown and fall off. This will look like Venus flytraps are dead, but all of carnivorous plants do this during the winter. The usual span of dormancy is about four to five months, between October to early February or late January. Venus fly traps are becoming extinct! Too many people are wanting them for house plants because they look cool, rather than letting them live in the wild. Also, Venus fly traps can be killed by the bugs they eat because the bugs can bite back! Come see the carnivorous plants at Zootastic.
