| Description | Ficus microcarpa hillii
Ficus hillii or 'Hill's Weeping Fig' are the hardiest of the evergreen ficus plants and are the number one choice for standardizing. The soft, white bark contrasts beautifully against the exuberant, glossy green foliage, making a feature out of your pleached hedge or standard topiary.
Unlike other ficus, the foliage of the Hill's Weeping Ficus can be hit by a hard frost without recoiling and turning black. Ficus hillii can tolerate a wide range of soils from clay to sandy, preferring a rich, moist loam in which it would thrive. They grow best in full sun to part shade and produce no flowers, making it a no mess hedging option!
Ficus roots are known to be quite vigorous, but can be controlled by keeping the foliage and head of the plant trimmed, roughly 2-4 times a year. They are best planted away from water pipes, easements and pools to avoid any root issues.
For more information on Ficus see our Ficus Factsheet
12"/30cm pot 1.5m tall | Syzygium australe
Grow a thick, bushy hedge in no time. What you do behind it is your business!
• Thick, glossy green hedging with red tinged new growth
• Australian native
• Easy to maintain and fast growing | |
| Content | | Neighbours-Be-Gone Trees can grow two or more metres per year once established. Neighbours-Be-Gone Trees have deep green, dense, fine foliage and copper red new growth and can grow two or more metres per year once established, and love to be clipped and shaped. They grow in full sun through to light shade and withstand mild frost, wind, heat and drought. They thrive in almost any soil including heavy wet and occasionally waterlogged soils.
Neighbours-Be-Gone Trees can be used to create tall screens, large hedges and large topiary. They can be planted in pots or confined areas. Although they have the potential to grow into large trees, their size can be contained by regular clipping. The trunk and roots only grow to serve the needs of the crown of the tree, so the trunk and root system will remain small, while the tree is being kept small by regular trimming. Neighbours-Be-Gone Trees are a long living tree that don’t become woody or sick from long-term regular pruning. A well maintained Neighbours-Be-Gone Tree hedge or topiary can last for many decades.
Neighbours-Be-Gone Trees are a select form of Acmena smithii and are exclusive to Hello Hello Plants. They were developed by Chris 20 years ago, and Neighbours Be Gone is actually a trademark that belongs to the Hello Hello group of companies.
Back in 2003 Chris was holidaying in Los Angeles and noticed that the most popular hedge was an Australian Native Lilly Pilly. At that time, the main hedge being grown in Melbourne was the Silver Sheen Pittosporum, and Lilly Pilly's were a product that was shipped down from Queensland. They were expensive, and many of the Queensland varieties did poorly in Victoria.
Chris decided to make a Lilly Pilly hedge that was tailor made for Melbourne. He chose a variety of Lilly Pilly that had been cultivated and had done well in Melbourne for the last 100 years. It grows all year round, is tough, drought tolerant and hedges beautifully. Now the "Neighbours Be Gone" is one of Melbourne's most popular hedges!
For more information on this great hedging and screening plant, see it's Growing Guide. | |
| Additional information |
| Botanical Name |
Ficus microcarpa hillii
|
| Other Common Names |
Chinese Banyan, Indian Laurel, Malayan Banyan, White Trunk Ficus
|
| Origin |
Asia, Australia
|
| Leaf Drop |
Evergreen
|
| Plant Type |
Tree
|
| Soil Type |
Clay, Loam, Loamy – Clay, Sandy, Sandy – Loam, Well drained
|
| pH |
Acidic, Neutral
|
| Water Requirement |
Moderate
|
| Tolerances |
Pollution Tolerant, Poor Soil Tolerant, Frost Tolerant, Salt Tolerant, Heat Tolerant, Drought Tolerant
|
| Sunshine |
Afternoon Sun, Full Sun, Part Shade
|
| Planting Distance |
1 every 80cm, 1 per metre
|
| Best time to plant |
All Year
|
| Flowering |
No
|
| Growth Speed |
Fast
|
| Prune Me |
3-5 times a year, Only in the warmer months
|
| Max Height |
10m
|
| Max Width |
3m
|
| Size Maintained at |
2m, 3m
|
| Fertilise Me |
December, February, January, March, November, October, September
|
| Fertilizer Frequency |
Monthly, When needed
|
| Foliage Colour |
Green
|
| Fruit / Seed |
No
|
| Uses |
Hedging & Screening, Pots, Standard, Topiary
|
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