How to Grow Golden Penda

Native to north-eastern Queensland, in its rainforest habitat the Golden Penda will grow 10-15 metres tall, however in a garden, where it doesn’t have to compete for light, it will reach around 7 metres tall. There are several smaller varieties of Golden Penda that are ideal for warm climate gardens.

'Little Penda' is a compact variety that grows 2 - 4m tall and 2 m wide. It develops into a bushy shrub and can be grown in a garden bed amongst other plants or trained into a hedge. It can also be grown in a pot.

It produces creamy coloured flowers during summer and autumn.

'Fairhill Gold' is a medium-sized variety that grows 3 - 4m tall and 2 m wide. It develops into a small bushy tree and can be grown as a specimen tree or an informal hedge. 

It produces bright yellow flowers during summer and autumn and is reported to flower reliably.

Choose a spot in the garden that receives full sun to part shade and has soil that drains well.

Prepare the planting area well by digging in Yates Dynamic Lifter Plant Food & Soil Improver Pellets. It's a rich blend of chicken manure, blood & bone, fishmeal and seaweed, enriches and improves the soil and is suitable for Australian native plants like Golden Penda. 

Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root ball. Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots, cutting away any circled or tangled roots.

Position in hole and backfill with soil, gently firming down. Form a raised or doughnut shaped ring of soil around the outer edge of the plant's root zone. This helps keep water where it's needed.

Always water in well after planting to settle the soil around the roots and keep the soil moist for several weeks while the new plant establishes. 

Mulch around the root zone with a bark chip mulch, keeping it away from the trunk. Mulch helps keep the soil protected and moist.

Feed throughout the year with Yates Dynamic Lifter Plant Food & Soil Improver to promote healthy plant and root growth. It's safe for feeding native plants like Golden Penda. 

Look for smaller varieties of Golden Penda and choose a pot that is at least twice the size of the pot of the selected plant.

Position in a frost-protected spot in the garden that receives full sun to part shade.

Fill the pot with a premium potting mix like Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. 

Remove the plant from the container, gently tease the roots, cutting away any circled or tangled roots.

Position in hole and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down.

Water in well. Keep the potting mix consistently moist while the plant establishes. 

Apply a bark chip or straw mulch, over the surface of the potting mix. Mulch helps to keep the potting mix moist and the roots protected. 

Feed throughout the year with Yates Dynamic Lifter Plant Food & Soil Improver, which is safe for native plants like Golden Penda. 

As rainforest natives, Golden Penda prefer warm climates, so thrive in tropical, subtropical, and frost-free warm temperate zones.

Golden Penda is not tolerant of frost. If an unusual cold snap is predicted in warm climates, help protect plants by spraying with Yates Waterwise DroughtShield and covering plants with frost cloth. 

If there's been recent hot and sunny weather, and now your leaves are all looking brown, then they could be sunburnt.

Deep watering, mulching, and gentle feeding will help to reduce sunburn. As well as spraying Yates Waterwise Droughtshield before a heat wave event.

If there has not been hot and sunny weather of late, and some of the leaves are starting to go brown and spreading, then it's more likely a pest or disease. 

Choose a frost-free spot in full sun to part shade. In windy areas, protect young plants while they establish. 

Golden Penda thrive in rich, well-drained soils but are adaptable to many soil types, provided drainage is good. Before planting, mix Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser into the soil. It's a rich source of organic matter to help improve soil structure. If growing a Golden Penda in a pot, it's best to choose a compact variety, choose a suitable sized pot and fill with Yates Premium Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter. 

Once established, feed plants throughout the year with Yates Dynamic Lifter Plant Food & Soil Improver Pellets. It helps promote healthy plant and root growth and is safe for feeding Australian native plants like Golden Penda.

Water regularly after planting. Once established, Golden Penda prefer moderately moist soil and will appreciate regular watering during hot, dry spells. To help conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds, spread a layer of a bark chip or straw mulch over the soil, keeping it away from the base of the trunk.

A hedge is a fantastic way to set boundaries, create privacy or give structure to a garden. The variety 'Little Penda' is ideal as it develops dense growth. Start tip pruning from when the plants are still young, to promote bushy growth.

Golden Penda are not reported to have invasive roots, making it a good choice for growing near homes and water utilities. 

Flowering will be reduced when Golden Penda is not growing in a warm enough climate, if it's growing in too much shade or if the plant has been pruned too close to flowering. If the plant needs to be pruned, wait until after the flowers have finished.

Golden Penda tends not to be prone to pests, however sometimes Scale can infest plants. Scale appears as white, brown, pink or black bumps along stems and leaves. Ants and the disease sooty mould may also be present, attracted by the sweet honeydew that some scale insects can produce. Scale can be controlled with oil-based sprays like PestOil and OCP eco-pyrethrum PLUS.