Golden Penda

Golden Penda (Xanthostemon chrysanthus) is the tree to plant in a warm garden when you want colour that stops people at the gate. Large clusters of golden yellow brush flowers cover the canopy from late summer into autumn, and every honeyeater and lorikeet in the area finds them. It is a rainforest tree from northern Australia that settles at around 6m to 8m tall and 4m wide in cultivation, with glossy dark leaves and coppery new growth.

Why you'll love it

• Flowering with real presence. The flower heads are large, dense and carried across the whole canopy, not scattered through it.
• A wildlife magnet. Nectar rich flowers pull in honeyeaters, lorikeets, native bees and butterflies.
• Glossy all year. Out of flower it holds thick dark foliage, so it works as a screen and a shade tree.
• Built for heat, humidity and salt. It shrugs off humid summers and coastal air, which is where many flowering trees fail.
• You can control the size. It takes pruning well, so it can be held compact or grown on for shade.

Where it works best

Feature and shade tree. One tree in a front lawn or a back corner gives flowering, shade and evergreen structure. Allow 4m of width.

Screening and privacy. Plant 2m apart for a tall dense screen. The canopies overlap well above fence height, and light pruning keeps the base furnished.

Driveways and coastal gardens. Spaced 4m or more it makes an avenue that flowers overhead. Salt and heat tolerance suit warm coastal blocks, provided the site is frost free.

Growing Golden Penda in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering. This is a tropical, subtropical and frost free warm temperate tree, and it is genuinely frost tender: young plants can be killed outright by frost, so cool temperate, tableland and cold inland gardens are not suitable. In marginal areas use a north facing wall and protect the first two winters.

Soil. Rich and free draining suits it best. Dig compost through the bed before planting and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Keep the water up. This is a rainforest species, not a dry country tree, and wants consistent moisture through establishment and flowering. Deep water twice a week in the first two summers, then weekly in dry spells. Feed in early spring and after flowering.

Pruning. Prune straight after the flower flush. A light trim keeps the crown dense and builds flowering wood, and harder reductions are tolerated if you need to hold the height.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 140mm, 180mm and 200mm multipacks and 300mm and 400mm pots, and in 45L, 100L, 200L and 400L advanced sizes. Small stock is the economical way to plant a screen and catches up quickly. The 100L and larger trees arrive with a formed trunk and can flower in their first or second season.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect little movement for the first month, then strong growth once soil temperatures climb. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse Australian native plants
• Compare flowering and shade trees
• See tall screening options
• Preparing a garden bed

Common questions

How big does it really get?

In far north Queensland rainforest it can exceed 25m, but in a cultivated garden it settles at around 6m to 8m tall and 4m wide. Pruning after flowering holds it lower again.

Will it survive frost?

No. It is frost tender, and young trees in particular are damaged by even light frost. If your garden frosts in winter, a hardier flowering native is the better choice.

When does it flower?

The main show is late summer into autumn, with a lighter flush often in spring. Flowering is heaviest in full sun and improves as the tree matures.