Lilly Pilly Trees are an evergreen tree; the foliage is very dark green and the leaves are shiny. It produces fluffy white flowers in the summer time and is followed by various colours of pink, mauve or purple berries.
It grows to about 15 metres in height and up to 15 metres in width so it is considered a medium size tree. The birds love the berries of the Lilly Pilly, so if you like the thought of having birds visiting your garden, then this is the tree to grow. The botanical name for this tree is: Acmena Smithii.
A cousin of this tree is the Blue Lilly Pilly; it too is an evergreen bushy tree with long shiny leaves. It also bears fluffy white flowers from summer through to early autumn and unlike the Acmena Smithii Tree, this one has very tasty blue berries.
About two months ago I planted an advanced blue L/Pilli in my back yard and am watching it with great interest. These trees can be grown as boundary fence trees as they grow large enough to give you privacy in your garden and yard.
They are hardy trees and drought tolerant.
The botanical name for this beauty is: Oleosum Syzygium
Also of great interest is the standard Lilly Pilly, this specimen has a mop top canopy and they look great in large terra cotta pots placed on large balconies or wide verandas. The new growth is tinged with bronze and purple tones. This tree needs to be pruned regularly to keep its shape and mop top frame.
Any of the above Lilly Pillies would be a great addition to anyone’s garden.
