Backyard Bliss Lilly Pilly

Backyard Bliss Lilly Pilly (Syzygium australe 'Backyard Bliss') is the compact lilly pilly for standard suburban screening. It reaches about 4m untrimmed but holds happily at 2m to 3m clipped, with lush glossy foliage, bronze new growth and strong psyllid resistance, so the leaves stay clean without spraying. Planted 800mm apart it closes into a dense native screen quickly, and being an Australian native it feeds the birds while it hides the neighbours.

Why you'll love it

• The right size for real backyards. Tall enough to screen a fence line and a first floor window, compact enough that it never becomes a forestry problem.
• Psyllid resistant. A modern selection that shrugs off the pimple leaf damage that ruins older lilly pillies in humid gardens.
• Fast, dense cover. Fast growing with foliage to the ground, giving meaningful privacy in two seasons from potted stock.
• A native that gives back. White summer flowers for the pollinators, then edible magenta berries the birds squabble over.
• Handles tough sites. Coastal salt wind, humidity and even periodically wet ground are all fine.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 800mm apart in a single row. A 10m boundary takes 12 or 13 plants and reads as a solid wall by the third season.

Topiary and formal shapes. The fine dense foliage clips into pillars, balls and clean formal faces.

Pots and small gardens. In large containers a pair makes an evergreen frame for a gate or outdoor room.

Growing Backyard Bliss in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest screen; part shade is workable with a slightly looser habit. It thrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and takes light frost once established; in hard frost districts choose a hardier hedge.

Soil. Any average soil with reasonable drainage, and unusually for a hedge it tolerates wet feet, so heavier soils and damp corners are not a problem. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then it is a low maintenance plant. Feed with a native friendly controlled release fertiliser in early spring and late summer to drive the screen closed faster.

Pruning. Tip prune from day one and trim after each flush, two or three times through the warm months. It reshoots readily from older wood if a hedge ever gets away from you.

What to expect when it arrives

Backyard Bliss is stocked in hedge friendly formats: 140mm packs of 10 and 200mm packs of 6 (the value routes for long runs), single 300mm and 400mm plants, and advanced 45L, 75L, 150L and 200L stock for instant screens. A couple of sizes are grown to order and show as backorder; we confirm timing with you before anything ships. Delivery is Australia wide, from $29.95, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Lilly pilly care guide
• Browse the full lilly pilly range
• Compare hedging and screening plants

Common questions

How is it different from Resilience?

Backyard Bliss is the more compact plant: about 4m untrimmed against Resilience's 5m, with a slightly tighter habit that suits 2m to 2.5m hedges. Both are psyllid resistant; choose by the height you need.

How fast will I get privacy?

From 200mm stock at 800mm spacing with water and feed, expect a screen you cannot see through in around two seasons, and a solid clipped wall by year three.

Can I keep it at 2m?

Easily. Two or three light trims a year hold it at 2m indefinitely, and it stays furnished to the ground rather than going leggy.

Are the berries safe?

Yes, lilly pilly berries are edible and traditionally used for jams. Expect to share them with every bird in the street.