Pandanus pygmaeusGolden Pygmy Pandanus

The Pandanus pygmaeus, commonly known as the Golden Pygmy Pandanus, is a dwarf screw pine from Madagascar that forms a low, dense clump of narrow, spiny-edged leaves boldly striped in gold and green. It suckers freely at the base and builds a broad mound rather than a trunk.

At a fraction of the size of the tree pandanus it works as a foliage mass in beds and planters, holding colour through the year without flowering. It is used in resort ground planting, raised planters and podium landscapes.

Specifications

• Height0.5 to 1 metre
• Width1 to 1.5 metres, spreading by basal suckers
• Native toMadagascar
• FoliageNarrow strap leaves with fine spiny margins, striped gold and green; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow to moderate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers well-drained sandy or loamy soils; tolerates coastal sands and alkaline ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade, with the strongest variegation in full sun
• WaterModerate; drought-tolerant once established but holds better colour with regular irrigation
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and warm coastal regions; frost-sensitive

Additional Features

• FormLow suckering clump forming a broad mound, with no trunk at landscape scale
• UsesResort and hotel ground planting, raised planters and podium beds, low foliage mass along paths and pool edges
• SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1 metre apart for a continuous mass
• Low MaintenanceRemove spent lower leaves occasionally; divide clumps only where spread must be restricted
• Pest ResistanceRobust and largely free of significant pests and diseases
• Seasonal AppealStrong gold and green variegation held all year, the main reason for specification
• Salt ToleranceGood salt tolerance, suiting coastal and pool-side positions
• VersatilityWorks equally as bed mass planting, container planting and low edge definition

The Golden Pygmy Pandanus supplies year-round foliage colour at ground level in coastal and resort schemes.