Our Tips for Making Use of the Versatile Lilly Pilly Plant in Your Home

By Maria Rogerson

August 31, 2016House & Garden

Century after century, people have always loved marvelling at the beauties and scents of flowers and herbs, finding their usefulness in decoration and meals. Therefore, the excitement that one gets from having a garden is certainly not a recent thing but we might as well say it’s an ancient trend that never goes out of fashion. You can see the importance of a garden by comparing it with a decorative vase in your living room – it affects the area as a whole. No matter how much of outdoor space you have at your disposal, either small or big, it can be used to plant your own greenery.

Lilly Pilly

Not only will you have your own colourful spot that will accentuate the aesthetics of your home, but you’ll also have your fresh produce. There are plenty of plants you can choose from, depending on the watering needs, weather conditions and requirements that are necessary for the life of different species. If you are looking for a plant that provides versatility, you can’t go wrong by opting for the lilly pillies. Also known as Australian cherries, they can really add some vividness to your garden. There are varieties of this charming plant, even dwarfish ones whose size ranges from 50 centimetres up to three metres, so you’ll surely find just the right Lilly Pilly for your home. If you’re still wondering whether or not you should get one, let our tips on how and where you can use it persuade you to get along with the purchase.

If you live in a densely populated area and can’t get enough time on your own in the comfort of your outdoor area without being exposed to the eyes of nosy neighbours, lilly pillies can be your privacy curtain as they provide enough covering to keep prying eyes away. They are resilient plants that can grow in semi-shade conditions or full sun. When planted in your garden, they can be drought tolerant unlike when they are in planters.

Once you’ve purchased and planted your Lilly Pilly, you’ll enjoy seeing it grow, especially when the little cherry-like berries start appearing. Though you might find them sour at first, they are very rich in vitamin C, which is a reason why they were part of the diet of Aboriginal communities. To make more use of the plant, you can have fun picking the berries and look up recipes to try out. Plus, you can even include them in your morning smoothie. You’ll thank yourself later for planting such a beautiful garden.

Because of their colour and shape, combined with a green leaf here and there, the berries of lilly pillies can be used as table decoration with your napkins for instance, or instead of flowers in a vase. Furthermore, you can frame them or make your aromatic herbarium, as well as use them as a gift decoration whenever you want to wrap a gift for your loved ones – let creativity be your guide. These are just a few tips to get you into the lilly pillies craze and, who knows, you might end up planting the whole garden with them.