Forest Flame Lilly Pilly

Forest Flame Lilly Pilly (Syzygium australe 'Forest Flame') is the screening lilly pilly you choose for the colour of the new growth. Every flush comes away bright red before hardening to deep green, and left untrimmed it reaches about 5m tall and 2.5m wide. It clips to any height from 1.5m upward, so it can be a 2m hedge or a small tree.

Why you'll love it

• Bright red new growth. Each flush opens red, and trimming triggers a fresh flush, so a maintained hedge colours up several times a year.
• Fast, and dense when trimmed. Quick once the roots are away, and it takes hard shaping, so it is a topiary plant as well as a screen.
• Australian native with edible berries. Cream white flowers give way to berries that birds work through and people can eat.
• Handles wet feet and salt. An unusual pairing that suits low damp spots and coastal boundaries alike.
• You set the height. About 5m left alone, or anything from 1.5m up with two trims a year.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row. Tighter spacing does not close the gap any faster, and it makes trimming and feeding harder later.

Topiary and shaped plants. It responds to clipping better than most natives, so it suits balls, cones and a matched pair at an entry.

Coastal gardens and damp ground. Salt tolerance handles a beachside boundary, and it copes in the part of the garden that stays soggy after rain.

Growing Forest Flame Lilly Pilly in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest growth and strongest red; part shade mutes the colour. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost once established, so hard frosting inland districts, the tablelands and cold southern gardens want a frost hardy hedge instead.

Soil. Not fussy about type, and more forgiving of damp ground than most lilly pillies, though it still prefers drainage. Work compost through the bed and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. A controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and late summer keeps the flushes coming.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting, then trim after the spring flush and again in late summer. Each cut brings on new red growth. Psyllid resistance is not what this selection is sold on, so watch the soft new growth in humid weather.

What to expect when it arrives

Three sizes are grown: tube stock, 140mm pots in packs of ten, and 200mm pots in packs of six. Tube and 140mm plants are young and single stemmed, the value choice for a long boundary: a season slower to close, but quick to root. The 200mm plants arrive branched, with a head start on height.

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 after planting, then new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather, all covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Start with our lilly pilly care guide.
• Compare varieties across the full lilly pilly range.
• To avoid watching for psyllid at all, Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' is selected to resist it.
• Weigh up the alternatives in hedging and screening plants.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. At that spacing the canopies knit together and the hedge reads as solid, with no thin band along the bottom.

Can I keep it at 2m?

Yes. It trims to any height from about 1.5m upward, and two cuts a year hold it there while keeping the base furnished with leaf.

Are the berries edible?

Yes, and tart. The birds usually get to them before you do.

Will it grow in a wet part of the garden?

Better than most, since it is wet feet tolerant. No lilly pilly thrives in standing water, though.