For Pipsqueak: Lilly Pilly - Syzygium oleosum

It's great, i love it !!!
It makes a great photo Bernieh !

Thanks Louise - Pipsqueak was wondering what a lilly pilly was ... it's a loaded question really because it's one of those common terms that refers to quite a few plants! So confusing.

It's fascinating , almost like those lights you see at christmas time , the tips light up and change colour ... :o)

Its great... reminds me of a firework..............

Its beautiful and what a display unusual love it.

An optic Fibre Bottle Brush, Very unusual looking tree!

Bernieh its very much like the Myrtus flowers isnt it....

Thank you so much Bernieh. It is an amazing flower. Are those the fruits in the top right?
Now I understand why I have heard of them being planted so much on Australian programmes they are stunning.

Milky - yes it certainly is similar.

Pipsqueak - you're welcome. As I said underneath there's a bit of confusion about just what the words 'lilly pilly' refer to ... but this particular species that's growing in my son's garden is the one most people (gardeners or non-gardeners) think of. It's a very popular plant, especially for hedging.
Those are not the berries, those are the little flower buds.

Lovely it must make a spectacular hedge!!

Neellan - I don't grow these ... this photo is from my son's garden and there's only one in his.... but I've seen large hedges of these and they are spectacular when they're blooming.

wow Bernieh..this is gorgeous..looks like a christmas sparkler

They sure do Deida ... it's a fantastic looking tree especially when it's full of blooms.

How tall does it grow?

It can reach 15 metres Deida ... when they're used for hedging they have to be trimmed regularly.

crikey.15 metres........no good for my garden lol

There are other varieties of syzygium - also referred to as 'lilly pilly' - and one of them only reaches around 75 cms ... Syzygium australe 'Tiny Trev'.

Thats better.....

It's lovely - I want to draw it!

Reminds me of a sea creature, only I can't think what it was... Lovely.

Were you thinking of a sea urchin Bamboo? It definitely looks a bit like one of those.

Perhaps I was - I've no idea really, just know I've seen some sort of sea creature that's similar, (as usual, remember the visual, didn't absorb the name) and sea urchin would definitely fit the bill

Bernieh:

That looks very familiar! LOL!!! It is very widely grown
in California...along with many other species of
Syzygium. The species native to Australia are especially common.

Yes it's a rather under-rated plant over here - so common in gardens and parks that we just don't appreciate how lovely they are!

Bernieh:

It's pretty much the same thing here. It is so widely
grown because of their drought tolerance.

I bet if you came to California to visit, you might think you're
still at home in Australia -- because so many Australian trees have naturalized here. : > )

I'm beginning to think that I'd feel right at home over there Andy!! LOL ... I'll have to put it on my list of places to visit!!

Bernieh:

I'm sure you would like it...and seeing the millions of
Eucalyptus trees here...you will feel right at home.
: > )