Acmena smithii ‘Minor Red Tip’ Form

Acmena 'Minor Red Tip' (Syzygium smithii var. minor 'Red Tip') is the small leaved lilly pilly most hedges should be built from. Left untrimmed it reaches about 4m tall and 2.5m wide, but the fine leaf and dense branching mean it clips to a crisp 1.5m to 2m wall. New growth flushes bronze red over the dark green, and this form carries good psyllid resistance, so the foliage stays clean without spraying.

Why you'll love it

• Small leaves make sharp hedges. Fine foliage cuts cleanly instead of leaving torn half leaves, which is why this form beats large leaved lilly pillies for formal work.
• Bronze red new growth. Every flush comes through coppery red against the dark green, giving the hedge colour without flowers.
• Australian native, bird attracting. Cream white flowers in the warmer months, then berries the birds work through.
• Built for exposed positions. Salt, wind and humidity tolerant, so coastal boundaries and open blocks do not burn it.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 1m apart in a single row. At that spacing the canopies meet within two to three seasons and stay furnished to the ground. Most gardens hold it at 1.5m to 2m.

Topiary and pots. The fine leaf takes clipping well, so balls, cubes and standards hold their edges, and a pot 500mm or wider suits a balcony screen.

Feature planting. Grown out it makes a dense small tree to about 4m, for height in a bed just 2.5m wide.

Growing Minor Red Tip lilly pilly in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest growth and the strongest red on the new flush; part shade works but the hedge stays looser. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and it tolerates light frost only.

Soil. Not fussy about type provided it drains. Work compost through the trench before planting a hedge run, and on heavy clay mound the row.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper to weekly and eventually to dry spells only. A controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and late summer keeps the colour up. Uneven watering causes patchy growth.

Pruning. Tip prune from the day you plant, not once the hedge reaches height. That early work builds density at the base. Trim after the spring flush and in late summer.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in ten sizes, from 140mm packs of ten up to a 200L specimen. For a long boundary the 140mm, 200mm and 250mm packs are the value choice: young plants that need a season more to close but cost far less per metre. From 45L up you get a branched plant with real height on day one.

Plants are packed to travel upright, and a little leaf drop after transit is normal. Expect a quiet fortnight, then new growth within four to six weeks. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete lilly pilly care guide
• Compare every lilly pilly we grow
• Browse hedging and screening plants
• How to plant and maintain a sharp hedge

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Closer planting does not close the gap any faster, and it makes watering and feeding each plant properly much harder.

Can I keep it at 1.5m?

Yes, and most people do. Two trims a year hold it between 1.5m and 2m, and because it shoots from old wood it stays dense at the base rather than lifting into bare stems.

How fast does it grow, and will psyllid attack it?

In a warm garden with water and feed, expect half a metre to a metre of height a year, and slower in the first season. This form has good psyllid resistance, so the bumpy distorted leaves seen on older lilly pillies are far less likely. Resistant is not immune, but routine spraying is not needed.