Are you (or your clients) sick of cleaning up wasted lilly pilly berries? Are you looking for a lilly pilly that makes less mess?
Lilly pillies are amazing native Australian plants, but they can be very messy. Besides creating litter that can look unsightly or become a tripping hazard, their berries can attract birds and possums which will poo on your outdoor furniture, and the juice from the berries themselves can stain fabrics and other materials.
Luckily, one cultivar stands out as a low-mess option that produces lots of flowers, but rarely ever produces fruit.
Sublime™ Acmena smithii ‘DOW30’ PBR
Sublime™ lilly pilly, a delightful mid-sized tree bred by Ozbreed, is a perfect choice for experienced home gardeners, landscape architects, garden designers, landscapers, and nursery businesses seeking a low-maintenance and visually appealing plant for their gardens or projects.
This mid-sized tree boasts refreshing lime green new growth and dense foliage that extends all the way to the ground. Its aesthetic appeal is further enhanced by masses of white fluffy flowers that bloom during the summer months. These flowers rarely mature into berries, making it a low-mess option for your gardens. It typically grows to a height of 5 meters and spreads 2-3 meters wide, making it suitable for various landscaping applications such as topiary, screening or as a feature.
Sublime Acmena produces flowers that rarely turn into berries.
Planting and Care:
- Size: 5m high x 2 – 3m wide
- Planting Density: 1 plant per 1.5-5m², 1 plant per 2-3 linear metres
- Uses: Ideal for screening, hedges, topiary, and as a garden feature
- Position: Thrives in full sun to part shade and tolerates a wide range of conditions including cold, drought, and seaside gardens
- Soil Preference: Well-drained soils to heavy clay loams
- Care: Water as required for 8-13 weeks until established; mulch the garden well; consider slow-release fertiliser in spring; prune yearly for a tidy hedge or every 2-3 years for a natural shape
Recommended Growing Regions:
Sublime™ Acmena is well-suited for regions in QLD, NSW, VIC, SA & WA. It doesn’t mind the humidity, but keep it away from heavy frosts. While most lilly pillies need well-draining soil, this variety can tolerate heavy clays as long as they don’t stay wet for too long.
With lime green foliage like this appearing each spring, you’ll forget all about berries.
Conclusion
You don’t have to commit to cleaning berries if you choose the right lilly pilly. There is another way!
Consider planting Sublime™ Acmena instead of a fruiting variety to prevent mess rather than managing it. If it’s too late and you’ve already installed a messier variety, consider ripping it out and replacing it with Sublime Acmena.
Remember golden rule in horticulture: right plant, in the right place, for the right reason, with the right after-care.
