My head snapped back at unfamiliar lemon yellow blooms as I drove past.
“What was that?!”
Had I been alone, I’d have doubled back for a closer look.
A few months later I saw more of the same. The lemony puff balls on the as-yet-unidentified-tree were a traffic-stopper. There were masses of them.
Now I know it’s the Xanthostemon Chrysanthus or Golden Penda, an Australian native of the Myrtaceae family.
The flowers resemble clusters of Syzygium Aqueum blooms with their fine filaments of stamens and styles.
But much as I’d love to have a Golden Penda, this handsome specimen with its attractive dark green foliage is too big for my little plot.
But I didn’t have to lament for too long – I found potted dwarf varieties; not yellow, but orange and pink ones. I bought the latter; an affordable pocket-sized beauty at only 8 inches tall.
If I had admired the plant for its flowers before, I am now equally enamored by its berry-like buds and cup-shaped calyxes.
Is it a plant worth getting? For sure. And if I had the space for it, I’d go for gold as well.
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Care and propagation: Full sun, well-drained soil, water moderately. Propagate using seeds or cuttings (I have not tried either)
Beautiful! Thank you!
Yes, it is a really lovely plant, Publius.
Nice write-up (as always) and beautiful pics!
Thank you, T.O. Glad you like it.
I am so pleased to find a plant for sale in Penag, Malaysia. May I know if it grows into a big tree? I have limited garden space and intend to plant it in a pot.
Mine is potted so it’s small. So far I’ve only seen yellow ones that are bigger trees.