WATERHOUSIA floribunda ‘Green Avenue’ (Weeping Lilly Pilly)

Weeping Lilly Pilly 'Green Avenue' (Waterhousea floribunda 'Green Avenue') is the screen to choose when you want height with movement rather than a clipped block. Left to grow it reaches about 9m tall and 4m wide, with long pendulous leaves on arching branches, though most gardens hold it at 3m to 5m. This listing is ex ground stock: field grown in open soil and lifted to order as an advanced tree.

Why you'll love it

• Foliage that moves. The weeping habit softens a boundary in a way no upright hedge manages, and the new growth flushes copper before turning green.
• Fast to screen. A quick grower for a native of this size, so a boundary closes over in seasons rather than decades.
• It copes with wet feet. Damp ground and heavy soil that rot most screening trees are handled comfortably, along with coastal salt and wind.
• Native and bird attracting. Cream and white flowers through the warm months feed insects and birds, and the fruit that follows brings more.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a dense screen. That spacing lets the canopies knit without starving each other of light at the base.

Driveways and avenues. For individual specimens with their shape showing, space them at least 4m apart to match the mature width.

Feature planting. A single advanced tree carries a front garden on its own, the weeping canopy doing the work of a much wider shade tree.

Growing weeping lilly pilly in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the densest growth, part shade accepted. This is a tree for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, humidity tolerant enough for the far north. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens should choose something hardier.

Soil. Unusually forgiving. It handles clay and damp ground, and still wants compost through the planting area and 75mm of mulch kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. A newly lifted tree has lost feeder roots, so deep soak twice a week through the first twelve months. Feed a controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and late summer.

Pruning. It responds well to shearing and reshoots from old wood. Trim after the spring flush and again in late summer.

What to expect when it arrives

This is an advanced field grown tree supplied at 6m to 6.5m, not a potted plant. Ex ground stock is lifted with a root ball, ideally in the cooler months, and arrives with the canopy tied to reduce stress in transit.

Expect a settling in period. Leaf drop in the first weeks is normal while the root system rebuilds, and steady growth usually resumes in the second season. Delivered Australia wide, with advanced and large stock freighted at cost, covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the complete weeping lilly pilly care guide.
• Compare varieties in the full lilly pilly range.
• Browse other ex ground advanced trees.
• See the alternatives in hedging and screening plants.

Common questions

What does ex ground mean?

The tree has been grown in open ground on a farm rather than a pot, then dug with a root ball when ordered. It gives far more tree for the money, but needs careful watering through its first year while the roots rebuild.

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One and a half metres apart in a single row. Closer planting does not close the gap faster and makes watering harder as the trees mature.

Can I keep it at 3m?

Yes. It shears well and reshoots from old wood, so two trims a year hold it between 3m and 5m without the base going bare.