Golden Biota

Golden Biota (Platycladus orientalis 'Nana Aurea', still widely listed as Thuja orientalis) is a dwarf conifer that holds a neat rounded egg shape without any clipping at all. It reaches about 1.5m tall and 1.2m wide, slowly, and the flattened sprays of foliage carry a warm gold tone that deepens through the cooler months. If you want formal structure in a dry garden without the pruning, this is the plant.

Why you'll love it

• The shape is built in. It grows as a tidy rounded egg on its own. No shearing, no wiring, no annual reshaping.
• Gold that lasts all year. The foliage holds its golden tone through every season and intensifies in cold weather.
• Dry, hot and poor ground suit it. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant, frost hardy and content in poor soil, so it is a genuine low water plant for an unirrigated bed.
• Slow and predictable. Reaching 1.5m takes years, so it stays in scale in a small bed or a pot far longer than a fast conifer would.

Where it works best

Pots and formal entries. A matched pair in 400mm or larger pots frames a doorway or a flight of steps, and the shape stays true with no clipping. Container growing holds it closer to 1m.

Borders and rockeries. Repeated down a border it gives rhythm and winter structure, and in a rockery the gold reads well against grey stone.

Low feature planting. Planted 1m apart in a line it makes a low informal edge between garden rooms. It is too small and too slow for screening, so use it for structure rather than privacy.

Growing Golden Biota in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, which is what produces the gold. In shade the colour goes green and the shape opens up. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens. It is not a plant for the humid tropics or subtropics, where persistent humidity encourages fungal problems in the dense interior foliage.

Soil. Free draining is the only firm requirement, and it tolerates poor, stony ground that would starve other conifers. On heavy clay, plant on a raised mound, since wet winter soil is the most common cause of failure.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then very little. Overwatering does more harm than a dry spell. A light application of slow release fertiliser in early spring is plenty.

Pruning. Essentially none. Trim only to remove damaged growth, and stay within green foliage, because conifers of this type do not reshoot from old brown stems.

What to expect when it arrives

Golden Biota is grown here in tube stock and in 200mm pots sold in packs of six. Tube stock is a young plant of about 15 to 20cm, and given how slowly this conifer grows you should count on four to five years from a tube before it has real presence. The 200mm plants are two or three years ahead and the better buy if you want the shape to read now.

Conifers travel well, though some interior browning after transit is normal and brushes out. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Growing and maintaining conifers
• Browse the full conifer range
• Plants suited to rockeries and dry beds
• Compare plants for formal shapes

Common questions

How fast does it grow?

Slowly, and that is a feature rather than a fault. Expect roughly 10 to 15cm a year in good conditions, which means several years before it approaches its mature 1.5m.

Does it need clipping to keep its shape?

No. The rounded egg form is natural. Trim only to tidy damage, and stay within green foliage, since cuts into bare brown wood will not reshoot.

Is it safe around pets?

No. Conifer foliage is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, and the oils irritate the mouth and stomach. Keep potted plants out of reach of a pet that chews foliage.