Golden Penda

Golden Penda 'Little Goldie' (Xanthostemon chrysanthus 'Little Goldie') is the dwarf form of a tree that normally reaches 10m, held instead to about 3m tall and 2m wide. That one difference makes it usable: the same fat clusters of golden yellow flower and glossy tropical foliage, on a plant that fits a small garden or a large pot. Honeyeaters work the flowers hard.

Why you'll love it

• All the flower, a third of the tree. At roughly 3m by 2m it sits under eaves and powerlines that rule out the standard golden penda.
• Gold that reads from the street. The clusters are dense and bright, and a mature plant carries several flushes through the warm months.
• A native that feeds birds and bees. Honeyeaters and lorikeets come for the nectar, and bees work the flowers for weeks.
• It tolerates wet feet. Rare in a flowering small tree, and useful in the low corner of a garden that stays damp after storms.

Where it works best

Feature planting in small gardens. A single specimen near an entry or in a courtyard bed does the job of a much larger tree without shading the yard.

Screening and hedging. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense screen to around 3m. Trimmed twice a year it holds a formal shape, though you trade some flower for tightness.

Pots and containers. A 500mm pot suits a warm courtyard or sheltered balcony and keeps it nearer 2m, with more feeding and watering than in the ground.

Growing Golden Penda 'Little Goldie' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens: it is frost tender, so cold inland and tableland districts need a sheltered warm wall or a pot that moves under cover for winter.

Soil. It is not fussy, and it copes with heavy soil that stays damp. Work compost through the backfill and mulch 75mm deep, kept off the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep water twice a week through the first two summers, then weekly in dry spells. A controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and again after the main flush keeps flowering heavy.

Pruning. Tip prune from young to build a bushy frame, then cut back lightly after flowering. It reshoots willingly, so a leggy plant can be cut back hard in warm weather.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: tubes, 140mm in packs of ten, and 200mm in packs of six. Tubes are the value choice for a hedge and catch up within two seasons. The larger sizes arrive branched and are the easier start for a single feature.

Bronze new growth is normal colouring, not stress. Expect flowering from the second or third year in a warm garden. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read all about the golden penda for background on the species.
• Browse more Australian native trees.
• See what else suits small gardens.
• See other bird attracting native plants.

Common questions

How big does it really get?

About 3m tall and 2m wide in a garden, against 10m for the standard golden penda. Light pruning after flowering holds it lower again if you need it.

Will it grow in Melbourne or Adelaide?

Only in a warm sheltered microclimate or a pot that moves under cover for winter. It is frost tender, so cold southern and tableland gardens are outside its range.

How far apart for a screen?

1.5m apart in a single row closes into a dense screen at around 3m. For individual shaped plants, allow 2m so each one keeps its own outline.

Why is it not flowering?

Usually too much shade or too much nitrogen. Move it into full sun, switch to a native fertiliser, and avoid pruning in late autumn and winter, which removes next season's flowering wood.