Pachystachys luteaGolden Shrimp Plant

The Pachystachys lutea, commonly known as the Golden Shrimp Plant, holds upright cones of overlapping golden bracts above deeply veined dark green foliage, and short-lived white flowers slip out between them. The bracts last far longer than the flowers, so the display is close to continuous in warm weather.

It is planted in shaded borders, mass bedding and courtyard containers, where it gives strong colour without needing full sun.

Specifications

• Height0.9 to 1.2 metres
• Width0.6 to 0.9 metres
• Native toNorthern South America, from Peru to Venezuela
• FoliageDeeply veined, glossy dark green lance-shaped leaves; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers rich, moist, well-drained soils
• LightPartial shade to full sun where water is reliable
• WaterModerate to high; keep evenly moist
• ClimateThrives in tropical and warm subtropical regions and is frost-sensitive

Additional Features

• FlowersUpright golden-yellow bract cones with short-lived white flowers, produced almost continuously in warm weather
• UsesIdeal for shaded borders, mass bedding, courtyard planting and containers
• SpacingPlant 0.5 to 0.6 metres apart for a continuous mass
• Low MaintenanceTip prune regularly to keep the plant dense and cut back hard when it becomes leggy
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust; monitor for whitefly under cover
• Wildlife AttractionFlowers draw butterflies and nectar-feeding birds
• Seasonal AppealThe bracts hold colour for many weeks, well beyond the flowering itself

The Golden Shrimp Plant carries reliable yellow into a part-shaded bed for most of the year, which few shrubs of its size manage.