First Love

~ Xanthostemon chrysanthus ~

MYRTACEAE

Not my first love, but definitely one of my greatest. First Love, or Golden Penda as it is also known, lines the main roads down from where I live. It feels like strolling through a Dr Seuss book, stalking giant big clumps of fluffy blossoms. When these trees come into flower, this signifies the start of the colder seasons in my area and they set the stage for all types of bees, insects and hungry birds. Illustrated here is the Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), who creates quite the visual feast when snacking on the honey-filled blooms. Fun fact, the Golden Penda was planted en masse in Meanjin (Brisbane) for Expo 88 to create a ‘sea of gold’, bringing the Golden Penda out of hiding. However, it is still considered rare in the wild.

WHERE TO LOOK

Golden Penda is found in the Northern Territory, north Queensland and around Brisbane. It enjoys its subtropical and tropical rainforest environments, creeks and riversides, but will mainly be seen by humans along streets in and around Brisbane, Darwin and Cairns (where it is the native floral emblem). Take a drive along Old Northern Road near Albany Creek in Brisbane in the month of May for a full roadside display.

FEATURES

This evergreen tropical tree can grow up to 20m but generally they sit around the 10m mark and feature big 7–22cm glossy green leaves fanning out around flashy yellow blossoms. These big 15cm blooms are known as inflorescences and are made up of many tiny 1–2cm yellow flowers. The fruit is a round woody capsule 12–14mm wide containing small flat seeds.

FLOWERING SEASON

Year-round → In South-East Queensland, flowers bloom in autumn but they can also be found in summer and pretty much any time of year. It fruits between August and February.

PLANTING

Propagation from seed and cuttings can strike successfully, with seed germination taking around 11 to 13 days. First Love can be grown in temperate environments; flowering may not be as prolific but the big green leaves still provide shade and habitat. If you’re working with less space, you can keep the tree potted or pruned or there is a variety called Little Penda, which grows 2–4m. Adorable. They all enjoy a sunny position.