Acmena smithii ‘Hot Flush’ – Lilly Pilly

Acmena smithii - Hot Flush is a compact lilly pilly with red new growth

Acmena smithii 'Hot Flush' - lilly pilly
Acmena smithii 'Hot Flush' - lilly pilly
Acmena smithii 'Hot Flush' - lilly pilly

A lovely easy care lilly pilly that grows to around 3 metres tall and a metre and a half wide. It has flushes of red new foliage and a dense habit. A perfect native hedge plant that responds well to pruning, also good for topiary and bonsai work. Give it extra water in dry periods and a couple of handfuls of slow release fertiliser in spring and it will reward you with good growth. Mulching well will cut down weeds and retain moisture. It is one of the lilly pilly varieties that do not get problems with leaf psyllids. It gets medium sized pink fruit in summer that birds love, and can be used for jam and sauces.

Note – be aware that fallen fruit can become a slip and trip hazard, so will need to be cleaned up regularly.

Family : Myrtaceae

Cultivar Name: Hot Flush

Plant Type : Small shrub, Large shrub

Width : 1.5

Flowering Time : Spring

Soil Type : Sandy, Clay, Loamy, Sandy loam, Clay loam, Poor soil

Climate Zone : Sub-tropical, Warm temperate, Cool temperate, Mediterranean

Growth Habit : Evergreen, Dense foliage, Mound-shaped

Soil Moisture : Well-drained, Moist moderate drainage

Special Uses : Edible, Bonsai, Decorative fruit, Pollution tolerant, Fast growing

Scientific Name: Acmena smithii

Common Name : Lilly Pilly

Height : 3

Flower Color : White

pH Level : Acid, Neutral, Alkaline

Plant Environment : Low maintenance garden, Courtyard, Container growing, Flower garden, Coastal garden

Light : Sunny, Light shade, Half shade

Lifespan : Perennial

Frost Tolerance : Tolerates light frost

Attracts Wildlife : Bees, Nectar eating birds, Seed eating birds, Butterflies