The Waterhousia floribunda, commonly known as the Weeping Lilly Pilly, is a truly stunning and highly versatile Australian native tree. It’s an excellent choice for a wide range of garden styles, from formal to rainforest, due to its graceful, weeping habit and lush, dense foliage. The leaves are a beautiful glossy green, and new growth emerges with a lovely pinkish or coppery flush, creating a gorgeous two-toned effect. In summer, it produces small, creamy-white flowers that are followed by small, inedible pinkish berries.
Caring for Your Weeping Lilly Pilly
- Growing Conditions: This tree is adaptable and thrives in full sun to part shade. It’s best suited to a warm, humid climate and can handle light frosts once established. It prefers well-draining, moist soil rich in organic matter.
- Watering: Water regularly to keep the soil consistently moist, especially during the first couple of years while it’s getting established. Once settled, it’s fairly tough, but it will appreciate deep watering during long, dry spells to keep its foliage looking its best.
- Feeding: To encourage vigorous growth, give it a feed with a slow-release fertiliser for native plants in spring and autumn.
- Pruning: Pruning is a great way to maintain its shape and density. A light trim a couple of times a year will encourage it to become even more bushy, making it a brilliant screening plant. It can also be pruned up to form a beautiful, single-stranded shade tree.
Usage in the Garden
The Weeping Lilly Pilly is most famously used for creating a dense, fast-growing privacy screen or hedge. Its graceful, weeping habit provides a soft, elegant look that works well in place of a more rigid hedge. It also makes a fantastic feature tree in the middle of a lawn, providing a beautiful focal point and dappled shade. You can also plant it along a driveway or use it to create a lovely, cool green backdrop in a larger garden bed.
