Hinterland Gold Lilly Pilly

Hinterland Gold Lilly Pilly (Syzygium australe 'Hinterland Gold') is the lilly pilly that screens in colour: every flush of new growth breaks bright gold over the deep green canopy, so a clipped hedge glows twice over every warm month. It grows quickly to about 4m tall and 2.5m wide, holds any height from 1.5m up, resists psyllid, and being a pet friendly native with bird feeding berries, it works as hard for the household as it does for the fence line.

Why you'll love it

• A two tone hedge. Golden new growth over glossy green gives the layered colour people usually buy photinia for, on a native that behaves better.
• Every trim triggers the show. Clipping prompts a fresh gold flush, so the hedge looks newest right after its haircut.
• Psyllid resistant. Clean modern breeding means no pimpled leaves and no spraying, even in humid coastal gardens.
• Fast, dense privacy. At 1m spacings it closes into a solid screen in two to three seasons from potted stock.
• Family friendly. Pet friendly foliage, white summer flowers for the pollinators, and edible magenta berries the birds finish first.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row; a 10m boundary takes 10 or 11 plants and clips to a crisp 2m to 3m wall.

Feature planting. A free grown specimen makes a small dense tree with constant colour movement.

Topiary. The fine foliage and quick reshoot make pillars and cubes easy, each clip refreshing the gold.

Growing Hinterland Gold in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings the strongest gold flush; part shade greens it slightly. It thrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, handles coastal salt and wind, and takes light frost once established; hard frost districts should choose photinia or juniper instead.

Soil. Any average garden soil with drainage. Compost at planting, mulch 75mm deep clear of stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in dry spells. Feed with a native friendly controlled release fertiliser in spring and late summer to keep the flushes rolling.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting and trim two or three times through the warm months. It reshoots readily from older wood if a hedge ever needs resetting.

What to expect when it arrives

Hinterland Gold ships in the full hedge range, all in stock: $10.95 tubes and 140mm packs of 10 for long runs, 200mm packs of 6 and 250mm packs of 3, single 300mm and 400mm plants, and advanced 45L, 100L and 200L stock for instant screens. Delivery is Australia wide, from $29.95, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect a settling fortnight, then the first gold flush. 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 gold is the new growth really?

A genuine bright gold over the first weeks of each flush, mellowing to lime then deep green. In full sun a regularly clipped hedge shows colour most of the warm season.

How does it compare to Resilience and Backyard Bliss?

Same clean psyllid resistant breeding, different party trick. Resilience is the tallest and fastest, Backyard Bliss the compact 2m hedge, Hinterland Gold the one with the coloured flush. All three hedge at similar spacings.

How quickly will I get privacy?

From 200mm stock at 1m spacing with water and feed, expect a screen you cannot see through in two to three seasons, and sooner from the advanced sizes.

Are the berries edible?

Yes, the magenta lilly pilly berries are edible and make a sharp pink jam, though the birds usually lodge a prior claim.