The Best Lilly Pilly Variety for your Garden

Overview:

1. Introduction to Lilly Pilly
2. Syzygium Paniculatum 'Backyard Bliss'
3. Waterhousea Floribunda (Weeping Lilly Pilly)
4. Syzygium Straight and Narrow
5. Syzygium 'Winter Lights' 
6. Acmena Smithii 'Firescreen'
7. Acmena Smithii 'Sublime'
8. Syzygium Australe 'Hinterland Gold'
9. Conclusion

Lilly Pilly, also known as Syzygium or Acmena, is a popular and versatile Australian native plant that can be used for many purposes in landscaping. In this post, we'll explore the best Lilly Pilly varieties for screening and privacy.

Syzygium Paniculatum 'Backyard Bliss'

Syzygium Paniculatum 'Backyard Bliss' is a compact and dense Lilly Pilly variety, perfect for creating low to medium-sized screens or hedges. It reaches a height of 3-4 meters and a width of 1.5 meters, thriving in various soil types, including those near pools due to its non-aggressive root system. It can withstand light frost and temperatures down to around -2°C for short periods, making it a superb choice for smaller outdoor spaces.

Key Facts to Know:

• Mature Height: 3-4 meters.
• Mature Width: 1.5 meters.
• Best Uses: Low to medium-sized screens and hedges.
• Leaf Appearance: Delicate, glossy green leaves.
• Rate of Growth: Moderate.
• Tolerates: Light frost and a variety of soil types.
• Additional Features: Non-aggressive root system, suitable for poolside planting.

Perfect if you: Have a narrow space, want significant height, desire a dense hedge, prefer non-invasive roots.

Waterhousea Floribunda (Weeping Lilly Pilly)

The Weeping Lilly Pilly is a striking and elegant tree with weeping foliage and attractive bronze new growth. It can grow up to 8 meters tall and 4 meters wide, making it ideal for creating natural and flowing screens or serving as a feature tree in larger gardens.

Key Facts to Know:

• Mature Height: Up to 8 meters.
• Mature Width: 4 meters.
• Best Uses: Creating natural screens and feature trees in larger gardens.
• Leaf Appearance: Weeping foliage with bronze new growth.
• Rate of Growth: Moderate.
• Tolerates: Mild frosts and well-draining soil.
• Additional Features: Elegant weeping foliage, attractive bronze new growth.

Perfect if you: Want an elegant feature tree, have a spacious garden, desire natural screening.

Syzygium Straight and Narrow

Syzygium Straight and Narrow is a newer Lilly Pilly variety gaining popularity for its narrow, upright growth habit. It boasts glossy green foliage, white fluffy flowers in summer, and can reach a height of 4 meters while only being 1 meter wide, making it fantastic for creating tall, narrow screens or hedges. It thrives in temperate and subtropical regions, tolerates various soil types, and is resistant to psyllids, making it a low-maintenance option for screening and privacy.

Key Facts to Know:

• Mature Height: 4 meters.
• Mature Width: 1 meter.
• Best Uses: Tall, narrow screens or hedges.
• Leaf Appearance: Glossy green foliage.
• Rate of Growth: Moderate.
• Tolerates: A wide range of soil types, psyllids.
• Additional Features: Upright growth habit, fluffy white flowers in summer.

Perfect if you: Have limited space, desire a narrow hedge, want easy maintenance.

Syzygium 'Winter Lights'

Syzygium 'Winter Lights' is a popular Lilly Pilly variety known for its attractive foliage and dense growth habit. It features glossy green leaves with new growth emerging in shades of pink and bronze, providing year-round colorful display. This variety can grow up to 4 meters tall and 2 meters wide, making it suitable for medium to large-sized screens or hedges.

Key Facts to Know:

• Mature Height: Up to 4 meters.
• Mature Width: 2 meters.
• Best Uses: Medium to large-sized screens or hedges.
• Leaf Appearance: Glossy green leaves with colorful new growth.
• Rate of Growth: Moderate.
• Tolerates: Light frost and various soil types.
• Additional Features: Colorful new growth, dense and attractive foliage.

Perfect if you: Desire year-round color, need a vibrant hedge, have a spacious garden.

Acmena Smithii 'Firescreen'

Acmena Smithii 'Firescreen' is a psyllid-resistant shrub/tree known for its rapid growth and attractive copper-red new growth. Ideal for hedges, screening, or as a specimen plant, it can also be grown in large containers or shaped into topiary. This Australian native plant thrives once established, prefers open to partially shaded positions, and can grow up to 5-6 meters tall and 2-3 meters wide.

Key Facts to Know:

• Mature Height: 5-6 meters.
• Mature Width: 2-3 meters.
• Best Uses: Hedges, screening, specimen planting.
• Leaf Appearance: Copper-red new growth.
• Rate of Growth: Rapid.
• Tolerates: Light frost, open to partially shaded positions.
• Additional Features: Suitable for topiary, rapid growth.

Perfect if you: Want fast growth, prefer rapid screening, need psyllid resistance.

Acmena Smithii 'Sublime'

Acmena Smithii 'Sublime' is a compact and dense Lilly Pilly variety ideal for small to medium-sized gardens where space is limited. It is best suited to hedge and screen properties and is suitable for a range of climates, including VIC, NSW, QLD, and South Australia. Acmena Smithii 'Sublime' features attractive glossy green foliage and grows up to 3 meters tall and 1.5 meters wide. It looks similar to a ficus from afar but has a non-invasive root system.

Key Facts to Know:

• Mature Height: 3 meters.
• Mature Width: 1.5 meters.
• Best Uses: Compact hedges, screens, topiary.
• Leaf Appearance: Glossy green leaves.
• Rate of Growth: Moderate.
• Tolerates: Various climates, non-invasive roots.
• Additional Features: Suitable for topiary, compact and dense growth.

Perfect if you: Want a compact hedge, seek low-maintenance plants, have limited space.

Syzygium Australe 'Hinterland Gold'

Syzygium Australe 'Hinterland Gold' is a stunning and vibrant Lilly Pilly variety featuring bright golden-yellow new growth that matures to a glossy green. It can grow up to 4-5 meters tall and 2-3 meters wide, making it perfect for creating a colorful and attractive screen. This variety is also known for its tolerance of full sun and its ability to thrive in warm and humid climates.

Key Facts to Know:

• Mature Height: 4-5 meters.
• Mature Width: 2-3 meters.
• Best Uses: Creating large and colorful screens.
• Leaf Appearance: Golden-yellow new growth turning glossy green.
• Rate of Growth: Moderate.
• Tolerates: Full sun, warm and humid climates.
• Additional Features: Vibrant golden-yellow new growth.

Perfect if you: Live in warm and humid climates, desire a colorful screen, need a vibrant focal point.

Choosing the Right Lilly Pilly for Your Environment

When choosing the right Lilly Pilly variety for your environment, it's important to consider the climate, space, and purpose of the plant.

If you're looking for a fast-growing and hardy Lilly Pilly for a large screen or hedge, Acmena Smithii 'Sublime', Acmena Smithii 'Firescreen',Syzygium Paniculatum 'Backyard Bliss'or Waterhousea Floribunda may be the best options. These varieties can withstand a wide range of climates and soil conditions and are known for their dense growth habit.

If you're looking for a compact and low-maintenance Lilly Pilly for a smaller screen or hedge, Acmena Smithii 'Sublime', or Acmena Smithii 'Minor' may be the best options. These varieties are easy to prune and shape and are perfect for creating a formal or structured garden.

For those looking for a stunning and colorful Lilly Pilly variety, Syzygium 'Winter Lights', Syzygium Australe 'Hinterland Gold', Acmena Smithii 'Firescreen', Acmena Smithii 'Forest Flame' may be the best options. These plants feature vibrant new growth and can add a pop of color to any garden.

In conclusion, Lilly Pilly is a versatile and popular Australian native plant that can be used for many purposes in landscaping. Whether you're looking to create a dense and attractive screen, a formal hedge, or a colorful feature plant, there is a Lilly Pilly variety that can suit your needs. By considering your environment and purpose, you can choose the right Lilly Pilly variety that will thrive in your garden and provide you with years of beauty and privacy.