Lilli Pilli shrubs which are likewise known as Syzygium luehmannii are typically found in the rainforests of Australia. However, this name is not known to the majority of the Australian gardeners out there. What exactly is this plant? Lilli Pilli is actually an evergreen tree that bears fruits as well. Moreover, these shrubs can be used as excellent hedge plants given that they are ornamental in appearance. In case you are contemplating on growing this plant in your garden, then don’t waste any time and go through the remaining part of this article.
What exactly is Lilli Pilli?
This plant, which is quite well-known amongst the Australians, is native to this particular country where it can develop to a height of as much as 30 m (90 feet) in the wild. However, it fails to grow that much in cultivation. In fact, it has been asserted by the folks growing the Lilli Pilli plant that these rarely develop beyond 30 feet.
This tree happens to be a fairly big fruit tree along with a weeping crown. Being evergreen, the shrubs consist of long and buttressed boles plus dense foliage. The fruit is known to be quite large having a pink or bright red tint. Being immensely popular in the Australian continent, this tree is being grown by lots of commercial producers nowadays. The Australians likewise use this tree for timber as well.
Guidelines for growing a Lilli Pilli tree:
As mentioned before, Lilli Pilli shrubs are cultivated on an extensive scale and you can easily grow them in hedges or gardens. On most occasions, one particular cultivar known as “Cherry Satinash” is employed for cultivation which helps to provide fresh foliage along with vibrant pink tips too.
In case you are residing in a region having a Mediterranean climate, then you are extremely lucky when it comes to the cultivation of Lilli Pilli trees. It is imperative to site the shrubs properly which will help to grow these plants in a decent way. In reality, these small trees happen to be quite flexible when it comes to growth requirements. Make sure that there is plenty of sunlight, although these trees are also able to grow in partial shade, not to mention half shade as well. On top of this, the Lilli Pilli shrubs have the ability to develop in almost any type of soil ranging from clay loam to even sandy soil. Interestingly, saline soil will not discourage their development either.
It is not very difficult to care for these shrubs which can easily grow in low-maintenance and dense hedges too. Here, it might be mentioned that pruning on a regular basis is imperative which will help to keep them lower than their original height.
You can always expect the Lilli Pilli hedges to produce a fantastic display of highly aromatic flowers during summer along with berries which are ideal for jams as well as preserves. Moreover, the Lilli Pilli shrubs are known to attract butterflies, birds, mammals, not to mention honeybees in the yard and can prove to be effective when it comes to controlling erosion.
