Golden penda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden Penda / First Love |
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| Flowering, close up (above), habit (below), cultivated, Brisbane | |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Xanthostemon
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| Species: |
chrysanthus
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The Xanthostemon chrysanthus, commonly known as Golden Penda or First Love, is a beautiful tree. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This tree is endemic, meaning it is found only in northeastern Queensland, Australia.
People love to plant Golden Penda in their gardens. It is very popular because of its amazing bright yellow flowers.
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The Golden Penda's Name
The Golden Penda was first described in 1864. A botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it the name Metrosideros chrysantha. He found it after John Dallachy collected it in Queensland.
Later, in 1867, another botanist named George Bentham changed its name. He reclassified it into the genus Xanthostemon. The name chrysanthus comes from two Ancient Greek words. Chrysos means "golden," and anthos means "flower." This name perfectly describes its beautiful golden blooms!
What Does Golden Penda Look Like?
In the wild, the Golden Penda tree can grow quite tall. It reaches about 10 to 15 meters (33 to 49 feet) high. It can also spread wide, up to 5 to 8 meters (16 to 26 feet). When grown in gardens, it usually stays smaller and more compact.
The tree has rough bark and a bushy shape. Its leaves are shiny green and shaped like an oval. They are about 7 to 22 centimeters (3 to 9 inches) long. The leaves grow in groups along the stems.
The flowers grow in large bunches. These bunches can be up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) across. Each bunch has many small, golden flowers. Each flower is about 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. Golden Penda flowers can appear at any time of the year. After flowering, small woody capsules grow. These are green or brown and ripen between August and February.
Where Does Golden Penda Grow?
The Golden Penda grows naturally in Far North Queensland. Its range stretches from Cardwell northwards into Cape York Peninsula. You can often find it in open forests or rainforests. It especially likes to grow along the banks of creeks and rivers.
Growing Golden Penda
Many plant nurseries grow Golden Penda. It is a popular ornamental plant for gardens and parks. People love it because it produces so many beautiful flowers.
You can grow Golden Penda from seeds or from cuttings. It grows best in subtropical gardens. It needs good drainage and a sunny spot to thrive. In cooler places, like Sydney, it might not flower as much.
Expo Gold
The Golden Penda tree was chosen as the special plant for World Expo 88. This big event happened in Brisbane. Cuttings were taken from a very good Golden Penda tree in a Brisbane garden. These cuttings were planted to create a "Sea of Gold" at the Expo.
Even today, you can still see Golden Penda trees flowering in Brisbane. They grow in gardens and line many streets. The Golden Penda is also the native floral emblem of Cairns.
Images for kids
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Flowers detail, Queensland
