Brisbane tree guide

Weeping lilly pilly

Syzygium floribundum · also called Weeping satinash, Weeping myrtle

The weeping lilly pilly is a hardy native rainforest tree from the creek banks of south-east Queensland, with glossy, wavy-edged leaves, fluffy white flowers and round green fruit. Brisbane City Council recommends it as a dense screen or windbreak and lists it as a street tree reaching 8 to 15 metres. It takes regular trimming well. Botanists now call it Syzygium floribundum.

Native to South East Queensland
8 to 15 m tall
Flowers November to February

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A weeping lilly pilly tree in a Brisbane park — Photo: John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Weeping lilly pilly at a glance

Height: 8 to 15 m (up to 30 m in the wild)
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: White, November to February
Roots: Moderate
Origin: Creekside rainforests from central Queensland to the Hunter Valley in New South Wales
Power lines: Not on the council's list for under power lines
Family: Myrtaceae

How to identify a weeping lilly pilly

Leaves are narrow and pointed, 5 to 16 cm long, glossy dark green above and paler below, with noticeably wavy edges and fine oil dots visible under a lens. Small white flowers with fluffy stamens open in big, many-flowered clusters at the branch tips. The round fruits, 15 to 20 mm across, stay mostly green with a reddish blush. Most garden lilly pillies carry pink or red berries, while this one's fruit stays largely green until a late reddish blush, which is a useful clue. Bark is dark grey, fissured and a little flaky, and the trunk has no buttresses.

Weeping lilly pilly flowers up close — Photo: John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Growing a weeping lilly pilly in Brisbane

This is a local tree: it grows naturally along creeks and rivers in south-east Queensland, and the type specimen was collected at Moreton Bay. Brisbane City Council lists it for creekside streets on verges 2.5 to 5 metres wide, but not under power lines. The council's free plant program suggests a sunny, open spot with well-drained soil. Once established it copes with long dry spells, though it looks best with reliable water. Garden trees usually stay far below rainforest size, but still allow for 8 to 15 metres.

What to watch out for

Unitywater lists large lilly pillies among trees not to plant near water and sewer pipes, so keep it well clear of them. Sap-sucking psyllids and scale can mark the new growth, and it may be susceptible to myrtle rust. Brisbane City Council doesn't list it for planting under power lines.

Pruning and care

Regular trimming keeps it dense, brings on flushes of colourful new growth and holds it at the size you want; without pruning it tends to thin out and look leggy, and it flowers and fruits more freely after a prune. Water young plants until they establish and give extra water in hot, dry spells. Scale insects and psyllids sometimes attack the soft growth, and white oil is the usual suggested control. Urban Utilities advises planting trees at least 3 metres from sewer pipes. Reducing a large, overgrown tree is a job for a qualified arborist.

Weeping lilly pilly: your questions

Short answers, from the sources below.

Back to the tree guide

How tall does a weeping lilly pilly grow?

Brisbane City Council's street tree list gives 8 to 15 metres for the weeping lilly pilly. Garden plants are often kept smaller by trimming, and wild trees in rainforest can reach 30 metres.

Are weeping lilly pilly roots invasive?

Unitywater lists large lilly pillies among trees not to plant near water and sewer pipes. Urban Utilities advises keeping trees at least 3 metres from sewer pipes.

Is weeping lilly pilly good for a screen or hedge?

Yes. Brisbane City Council recommends it as a dense screen or windbreak, and regular trimming keeps it bushy and at the size you want.

When does weeping lilly pilly flower in Brisbane?

Clusters of small white flowers appear from late spring into summer, followed by round green fruits with a reddish blush.

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Sources and credits

Photo: John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Second photo: John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Checked October 2026. Weed listings and council rules change: check the council's and the Queensland Government's pages before you act.