Broad Leaved Lilly Pilly

Broad Leaved Lilly Pilly (Syzygium hemilamprum, still sold by many growers as Acmena hemilampra) is the one to plant when you want a shade tree rather than a clipped hedge. In an open garden it settles at about 8m tall and 4m wide, well short of the height it reaches under rainforest canopy. The leaves are broader and glossier than the common screening types, and new growth flushes copper before hardening to deep green.

Why you'll love it

• Broader, glossier foliage. Noticeably larger leaves than a standard screening lilly pilly, which gives a mature planting a soft rainforest look.
• Shade tree or tall screen. Left alone it builds an 8m canopy. Trimmed from the first year it holds at 3m to 4m.
• It copes with wet ground. Wet feet tolerant, so the low corner of the block that stays damp after a storm is fair game.
• Coastal and humid gardens suit it. Salt tolerant and comfortable in high humidity, which rules out very few east coast sites.
• Native and bird attracting. An eastern Australian rainforest species with cream summer flowers, then fruit the birds clear for you.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row. That spacing lets each plant furnish out properly while the canopies still meet.

Shade tree. A specimen set 4m from the house casts dense summer shade over a lawn or seating area, with a canopy about 4m across.

Hedging and feature planting. It clips well for a tall formal hedge, and a matched pair at a driveway entrance reads properly past 2m.

Growing Broad Leaved Lilly Pilly in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest canopy, though part shade suits it too. This is a tree for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and it takes light frost and no more, so hard frosting inland and tableland gardens should choose something hardier.

Soil. Not fussy about type, and unlike most lilly pillies it tolerates ground that stays wet. Work compost through the backfill and mulch 75mm deep.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then weekly. Growth is steady, so a controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and late summer earns its keep.

Pruning. For a screen, tip prune from planting and trim twice a year. For a shade tree, lift the lower branches gradually. It reshoots from old wood, so a neglected hedge can be cut back hard.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in seven sizes. Tube, 140mm packs of ten and 200mm packs of six are young single stemmed plants, and the sensible buy for a long boundary. The 300mm pot is the usual middle ground. From 45L through 100L and 200L you are buying a tree with height and structure already made.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect two or three quiet weeks after planting, then new growth, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the lilly pilly care guide.
• Compare the full lilly pilly range.
• Browse screening plants in the 4m to 8m band.
• Learn how to maintain a hedge.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

Space plants 1.5m apart in a single row. The leaves are large, so each plant needs room to build a full canopy, and at that spacing the row closes without the plants shading each other out at the base.

How big does it actually get in a garden?

Around 8m tall and 4m wide. The larger figures quoted for this species come from rainforest, where competition drives it up. Regular trimming holds it at 3m to 4m.

Can I grow it in a cooler southern garden?

Only where frost is light. It is rated for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate zones, so cold inland and tableland gardens are a stretch.