Orange Twist Lilly Pilly

Orange Twist Lilly Pilly (Syzygium australe 'Orange Twist') is the screening lilly pilly for people who want colour as well as cover. Every flush of new growth comes through bright orange before hardening to glossy green, so a trimmed hedge is warm on top and dark green underneath. Left alone it reaches about 3.5m tall and 2m wide, and 80cm spacing closes it into a dense screen.

Why you'll love it

• Orange new growth all season. Trimming triggers a flush, so a clipped hedge holds that colour repeatedly rather than once a year.
• The right size for a suburban fence. About 3.5m tall and only 2m wide untrimmed.
• Fast and dense. It branches readily and holds foliage low, which separates a real screen from a row of leggy shrubs.
• Native, bird friendly, pet safe. White flowers give way to edible berries, and it is not toxic to cats or dogs.
• It handles wet feet and salt. Coastal blocks and beds that stay damp after storms are both within range.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 80cm apart in a single row. That suits the narrow 2m width, and the canopies knit into a continuous wall within two to three seasons. Planting tighter does not speed it up.

Topiary and shaping. The small leaf and dense branching take clipping well, so it holds a ball, cone or squared pillar with two or three trims a year.

Pots and courtyards. A container 500mm or wider carries a plant at around 2m, enough to screen a courtyard or flank a doorway.

Growing Orange Twist Lilly Pilly in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest growth and the strongest orange. Part shade works, but the screen stays looser. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so hard frosting gardens want a frost hardy hedge instead.

Soil. Not fussy about type, and unusually tolerant of ground that stays wet, though it still prefers reasonable drainage. Work compost through the planting trench and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. Feed a controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and again in late summer. A hedge that dries out repeatedly thins from the bottom.

Pruning. Tip prune from the day you plant, then trim after each flush, two or three times a year. It reshoots from old wood, so a neglected plant can be cut back hard.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown as tube stock: young single stemmed plants, usually below knee height, with roots that have filled the tube but little top growth yet. For a long boundary that is the sensible buy, since tubes establish faster than advanced stock and typically catch up within two to three years. Plant at 80cm spacing into a prepared trench, and tip prune straight away so they branch low.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect a quiet fortnight, then new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete lilly pilly care guide
• Compare the full lilly pilly range
• How to plant and maintain a sharp hedge
• Browse hedging and screening plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Eighty centimetres apart in a single row, which suits its 2m mature width. At that spacing the screen reads as solid within two to three seasons, with no thin strip along the bottom.

Can I keep it lower than 3.5m?

Yes. Two or three trims a year hold it anywhere from 1.5m upwards, and because it shoots from old wood it stays furnished at the base.

Will it grow in a cold garden?

Only where frost is light and occasional. Colder gardens will lose the new growth each winter and the hedge will never fill out properly.