Are you on the hunt for the best lilly pilly hedge for your garden? Perhaps you’re a landscape designer looking for low-fuss, functional and reliable plants?
All lilly pillies aren’t built equal, so in this article we’ll explore three of the best lilly pillies to help you strengthen your plant palette. Whether you’re looking for a giant wind break, a medium-sized low-mess tree that barely produces berries, or you need a tall, skinny hedge along a fenceline.
Sweeper® Waterhousea floribunda‘DOW20’ PBR
The Gentle Giant
- Sweeper® Waterhousea is a giant with a heavily weeping habit, lush green new growth, and dense foliage that extends to the ground. This plant features large clusters of white flowers in summer, and its dense foliage makes it ideal for large dense screening. It softens hard concrete and metal elements in the landscape. Growing to a size of 10m high x 5 – 8m wide, it’s suitable for street trees, wind breaks, screening or as a large hedge. Sweeper® Waterhousea thrives in full sun to part shade and tolerates cold and drought conditions. It’s recommended for well-drained to heavy clay loam soils.
- Size: 10m high x 5 – 8m wide.
- Climate Tolerance (QLD): Suitable QLD, NSW, VIC, SA & WA.
- Pest Resistance or Susceptibility: Highly myrtle rust resistant.
- Uses: Ideal for street trees, large dense screens, shelterbelts, or large hedges. Not suitable for courtyards or small spaces.
- Position: Thrives in full sun to part shade. Avoid hot or dry exposed inland regions. Tolerates cold and drought conditions.
- Soil: Well-drained to heavy clay loams.
- Sweeper Waterhousea is a giant, weeping lilly pilly hedge that’s perfect for screening and softening hardscapes.
Sublime™ Acmena smithii ‘DOW30’ PBR
Large Hedge or Medium Tree
- Sublime Acmena is a mid-sized tree that excels in hedging, topiary and screening applications. It features refreshing lime-coloured new growth and dense foliage that reaches the ground. This tree or large shrub has a dense structure which is well-suited for creating privacy screens or to get creative with topiary shapes. It rarely produces berries, making it a low-mess option.
- Size: 5m high x 2 – 3m wide.
- Climate Tolerance (QLD): Suitable for QLD, NSW, VIC, SA & WA.
- Pest Resistance or Susceptibility: Highly myrtle rust resistant. Extremely psyllid resistant.
- Uses: Well-suited for topiary and creating privacy screens due to its dense structure.
- Position: Thrives in full sun to part shade. Cold, drought and salt spray tolerant.
- Soil: Well-drained to heavy clay loams.
- Sublime Acmena is a lower-mess option, which rarely fruits. It does still flower and feed pollinators, though.
Straight and Narrow™ Syzygium australe ‘SAN01’ PBR Intended
Columnar Feature Tree or Narrow Hedge
- Straight and Narrow lilly pilly has an upright and narrow growth habit, giving you the ability to screen fencelines without sacrificing horizontal space. It’s also ideal for planting in courtyard gardens as a feature tree because it provides a lot of height without taking up much horizontal space. Straight and Narrow lilly pilly’s tidy appearance and dense foliage make it a versatile option for both hedging and screening purposes.
- Size: 5 – 8m high x 1 – 5m wide. Prune it down to 2m.
- Climate Tolerance (QLD): Suitable for QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, WA & ACT (if protected from frosts).
- Pest Resistance or Susceptibility: Highly psyllid
- Uses: Ideal for screening, topiary, hedging along fencelines, small spaces, courtyards or small gardens.
- Position: Thrives in full sun to part shade. Avoid hot or dry exposed inland regions. Tolerates cold and drought conditions.
- Soil: Well-drained soil; avoid over-watering.
- These Straight and Narrow lilly pillies are still young, but they’ll keep their columnar shape until they each grow to 5-8m high and 1-1.5m wide.
Conclusion
These three lilly pilly hedges all perform a totally different function. If you need a giant wind break or feature tree in an open space, the best option is Sweeper Waterhousea. If you need a medium-to-large hedge for topiary or screening, the best plant is Sublime Acmena. On the other hand, if you need a tall and skinny plant for small spaces or along fencelines, Straight and Narrow Syzygium is your best option.
