Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 9b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | white |
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | mounded |
| Mature height | 4 feet |
| Spread | 3 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
Golden Shrimp Plant
Botanical name: Pachystachys lutea
This evergreen shrub or subshrub will typically reach up to two feet in height; slender white flowers emerge from showy, overlapping golden yellow bracts; blooms primarily in summer, but will bloom year round in tropical climates.
Other names: Lollipop Plant
Ornamental Features
Golden Shrimp Plant features showy spikes of white tubular flowers with gold bracts rising above the foliage from mid spring to mid summer. It has dark green foliage with light green veins which emerges light green in spring. The glossy oval leaves remain dark green throughout the winter. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Golden Shrimp Plant is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Golden Shrimp Plant is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Mass Planting, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Planting and Growing
Golden Shrimp Plant will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings.
Golden Shrimp Plant makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
