Firescreen Lilly Pilly

Firescreen Lilly Pilly (Syzygium australe 'Firescreen') is the screening lilly pilly you choose for colour, flushing bright red new growth every time it is trimmed. Left alone it reaches about 5m tall and 2.5m wide; planted 1m apart it closes into a dense native screen within a few seasons, with glossy foliage, cream white flowers and berries the birds chase.

Why you'll love it

• Red new growth on demand. Every trim triggers a fresh flush of glowing red tips over the deep green backdrop, so the hedge colours up several times a year.
• Fast, dense screening. A quick growing native that furnishes to the ground and builds real privacy in a few seasons.
• Tough by the coast. Salt tolerant and comfortable in humidity, so beachside boundaries are fine.
• Copes with damp ground. Unusually for a hedge plant, it tolerates periodically wet soil where many screens sulk.
• Native habitat value. The flowers feed nectar eaters, and the berries bring birds, with fruit you can turn into jam.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense screen. Kept at 2m to 3m with regular trims, it hides a fence line without swallowing the yard.

Formal hedging and shapes. It clips cleanly enough for topiary, so it suits sharp formal hedges, pillars and clipped feature shapes.

Problem damp corners. That tolerance of wet feet makes it a candidate for the low side of the block where water lingers after rain.

Growing Firescreen Lilly Pilly in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the tightest growth and the strongest red flush; part shade works with a slightly looser screen. It is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, tolerating light frost only once established. In cold inland or hard frosting southern districts, choose a hardier hedge instead.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil, from sandy coastal ground to heavier profiles that stay damp for a spell. Compost at planting and a 75mm mulch layer set it up well.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper to occasional deep watering. Feed with a controlled release native friendly fertiliser in spring and late summer.

Pruning. Trim two or three times through the warm months to hold your line and refresh the red flush. It reshoots readily from older wood, so an overgrown hedge can be brought back hard.

What to expect when it arrives

The range runs from tubes and 140mm packs, the economical choice for long boundary runs, through 200mm packs and single 500mm pots to advanced 45L, 75L and 100L plants that screen almost immediately. Sizes are grown in batches, so one marked backorder is simply waiting on the next run to mature.

Plants travel upright and settle quickly, with new growth showing within a month in warm weather. They are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by 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
• Lilly Pilly Resilience, the psyllid resistant alternative

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

One metre apart in a single row. The canopies knit into a solid screen within a few seasons while each plant stays furnished at the base.

Can I keep it at 2m?

Yes. Two or three trims a year hold it comfortably at 2m to 3m, and each trim rewards you with a fresh flush of red tips.

When is the new growth red?

Whenever it is actively growing, mainly through the warm months and after each trim. The flush opens red and matures to glossy green over a few weeks.

Can I eat the berries?

Yes, the berries are edible but tart, better in jams and jellies than eaten fresh. The birds will take whatever you leave.

Will it handle frost?

Light frost only once it is established. Hard or regular frosts burn the foliage, so it is best suited to warm temperate climates and northwards.