Lilly pilly psyllid
Signs: Dimples and raised pimples on soft new growth, often on bronze-red flush leaves.
Remedy: Prune off affected flushes and dispose of them, feed to push clean growth, and spray new tips with horticultural oil as they emerge.
[ Hedging plants ]
Lilly Pilly
Syzygium australe
Lilly Pilly is Australia's go-to native hedge. With its dense habit, rapid growth and bronze-to-crimson flush of new leaves, it creates a lush privacy screen in just a couple of seasons. We select psyllid-resistant varieties and shape them from planting so the hedge stays thick right to the ground.
Native, bird-attracting berriesFast growth for quick screeningPsyllid-resistant varieties availableClip-tolerant for crisp formal linesBest for 2 m – 4 m screens
Enquire about Lilly Pilly 
At a glance
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular while establishing
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Mature height
- 4 m – 6 m unclipped
- Soil
- Fertile, moist, well-drained
- Frost tolerance
- Light frost when mature
How to look after it
- 01Tip prune young plants regularly to promote dense basal growth.
- 02Apply native-friendly fertiliser in spring and autumn for strong colour.
- 03Keep soil moist during the first two summers; Lilly Pillies hate drying out young.
- 04Shape twice yearly for formal hedges, once for relaxed screens.
- 05Choose a psyllid-resistant cultivar to avoid leaf pimple damage.
[ Pests & problems ]
What to look out for
The most common issues we see on Lilly Pilly hedges around Sydney — how to spot them early, and what to do about them.
Aphids
Signs: Clusters of tiny green or black insects on tender shoot tips, with curling leaves.
Remedy: Blast off with a hose or spray with insecticidal soap in the early morning; encourage ladybirds rather than blanket spraying.
Scale & sooty mould
Signs: Brown bumps along stems followed by black sooty film on the leaves below.
Remedy: Oil spray the stems to smother scale, then wash foliage clean. Improve airflow with a light thinning prune.
