{"product_id":"ficus-microcarpa-nitida","title":"Indian Laurel Fig - Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIndian Laurel Fig - Ficus microcarpa ‘Nitida’\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Nitida’ is the fig behind most of the immaculately clipped hedges, pleached screens and formal cubes seen in warm-climate Australian landscapes. \u003cem\u003eFicus microcarpa\u003c\/em\u003e ‘Nitida’ holds small, thick, glossy leaves on dense twiggy growth that responds to shearing better than almost any other evergreen of its size, and it grows fast enough to close a screen in a couple of seasons. Left unpruned it becomes a substantial spreading tree with a vigorous root system, so it should be kept well away from pipes, pools and slab edges unless a root barrier is installed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy ‘Nitida’\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClipping response\u003c\/strong\u003e: Shears to a crisp face and reshoots readily from bare wood, which makes it the default for architectural hedging.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSmall dense leaf\u003c\/strong\u003e: Fine glossy foliage gives a smooth surface at close range rather than a coarse one.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpeed to screen\u003c\/strong\u003e: Fills a gap and blocks a sightline faster than any comparable formal evergreen.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShade tolerance\u003c\/strong\u003e: Keeps density in part shade, so it works on southern walls and between buildings.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUrban durability\u003c\/strong\u003e: Copes with reflected heat, pollution, wind and restricted root volume in planters.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormal clipped hedge\u003c\/strong\u003e: Maintained anywhere from 1.5m to 5m with two or three trims a year.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePleached screen\u003c\/strong\u003e: Trained on a frame above a fence line to gain privacy without losing ground space.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCourtyard and rooftop planters\u003c\/strong\u003e: Reliable in large containers where root run is deliberately restricted.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClipped standard or cube\u003c\/strong\u003e: Holds crisp geometry for entries and formal terraces.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 to 1.2m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 5 to 8m if grown on as a tree\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring and summer in temperate zones; year round in the subtropics and tropics\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Almost any reasonably drained soil; responds strongly to fertility and consistent moisture\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water two to three times a week for the first three months to get the hedge line growing evenly, then weekly deep watering. Mulch to 75mm, feed in spring and again in summer for dense regrowth, and begin light formative trimming early rather than waiting for the plants to reach full height.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8 to 12m unpruned; readily held at 1.5 to 5m as a hedge\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 6 to 10m unpruned\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fast\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evergreen, small and glossy\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e South and South East Asia through to northern Australia and the western Pacific\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Insignificant, enclosed within small figs\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":59795355238686,"sku":"ND-0778-400MM","price":800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/RAbxd1uR0cbUB-Gf1jhg_3HwpWpA9.jpg?v=1787314050","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/ficus-microcarpa-nitida","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}