Sheena’s Gold Duranta

Sheena's Gold Duranta (Duranta erecta 'Sheena's Gold') is the fastest way to put a block of bright golden foliage into a warm climate garden. It grows to about 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide, evergreen, and it takes clipping better than almost anything else in its size range, which is why it turns up as hedging, balls and low borders across the country's warmer half. Planted 60cm apart it closes into a dense gold hedge inside a year.

Why you'll love it

• Gold foliage all year. The colour comes from the leaves, not from flowers, so the display never has an off season.
• It shapes beautifully. Dense, small leaved growth that reshoots quickly, so balls, cubes, low hedges and standards all hold their form.
• Genuinely fast. A 60cm spaced row can read as a solid hedge within twelve months in a warm garden.
• Heat, humidity and salt are fine. Drought tolerant once established, and comfortable in coastal and tropical conditions that flatten other hedging plants.

Where it works best

Hedging and borders. Plant 60cm apart in a single row for a dense hedge. Held at 1m it makes a bright low border, or let it run to 1.8m for a boundary hedge.

Topiary and shaping. Single plants clip into balls, cones and standards, and the fine growth keeps the surface tight rather than gappy.

Pots and feature planting. A pot 400mm or wider holds one well, and a pair either side of an entry is a common and effective use of the gold colour.

Growing Sheena's Gold Duranta in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, without compromise: in shade the gold turns lime green and the growth goes loose. It is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant, tolerant of light frost only, so cold inland and southern gardens will lose it in a hard winter.

Soil. Not fussy, provided it drains. Improve heavy clay with compost and plant on a slight mound. Mulch 75mm deep and keep it clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then it manages on moderate water. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again in mid summer to hold the colour bright.

Pruning. Trim from the day you plant, lightly and often. Three or four cuts a year keeps a hedge crisp. It reshoots readily from old wood, so a neglected plant can be cut back hard in spring.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in three sizes: single tubes, 140mm pots in packs of ten, and 200mm pots in packs of six. The 140mm packs are the practical hedge buy at 60cm spacing. Tubes are the value option over a long run, while 200mm plants give the quickest result.

Plants are packed upright and travel well. Some leaf drop after transit is normal and new growth follows within a month in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plants that clip well for topiary and shapes
• Compare the best hedging plants
• How to create a hedge and keep it sharp
• Browse other fast growing plants

Common questions

Is it safe around children and pets?

The berries are toxic if eaten, so this is not the plant for a garden where small children or pets graze on what they find. Clipped hedges rarely fruit, because trimming removes the flowers before berries can set.

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Sixty centimetres apart in a single row. That is close enough to close the gap quickly and far enough that each plant keeps foliage down to ground level.

Does it flower?

Unclipped plants carry small pale blue flowers, mostly in the warm months. A regularly trimmed hedge flowers very little, and most people grow it for the gold foliage rather than the bloom.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. In cold inland or southern gardens it will burn back or die, so a pot that can be moved under cover is safer.