Young's Penda Plant Care

Young's Penda (Xanthostemon youngii) belongs to the Myrtaceae family within the Xanthostemon genus. Young's Penda is native to North Queensland, constituting part of the plant family Myrtaceae. Young's Penda is also known as Golden Penda.

Young's Penda displays a compact, bushy shrub growth habit, reaching up to 5 ft tall with a spread of approximately 4 ft. Young's Penda produces showy clusters of bright yellow flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 4 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Young's Penda every 7–10 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Young's Penda thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Xanthostemon youngii tolerates temperatures of 60–85°F. Young's Penda prefers humidity levels of 50–70%. A pebble tray or humidifier helps maintain adequate moisture around the plant.

Well-draining, slightly acidic soil with good organic content. Good drainage is essential for Young's Penda to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Young's Penda every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining, slightly acidic soil with good organic content. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Young's Penda is suited to USDA Zone 13a.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Young's Penda can spread to about 4 ft (1.2 m) and reach about 5 ft (2 m) tall. Space plants about 4 ft (1.2 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Young's Penda while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Young's Penda is frost-tender (hardy to USDA zone 13). In colder areas grow it in a container and move it to a bright, frost-free place before the first frost.

Young's Penda can be propagated through seeds, softwood cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to xanthostemon oppositifolius plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Young's Penda is susceptible to aphids, scale insects, leaf miners. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Young's Penda grows outdoors in USDA Zone 13a. It survives winters down to planting zone 13a. Young's Penda is native to North Queensland, constituting part of the plant family Myrtaceae. In cooler regions, grow Young's Penda as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.