{"product_id":"liquidambar-styraciflua-gumball-standards","title":"Gumball Sweet Gum (Standard) - Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Gumball’","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\u003eGumball Sweet Gum (Standard) - Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Gumball’\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘Gumball’ is the dwarf, densely twiggy selection of \u003cem\u003eLiquidambar styraciflua\u003c\/em\u003e, and grafted onto a clear stem it forms a tight rounded head that holds its ball shape with almost no intervention. It gives you the famous liquidambar autumn colour at a scale that fits a courtyard, a nature strip or a row of pots, instead of the 20m forest tree the species becomes. Designers reach for it when they need a formal lollipop that also puts on a real seasonal show.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy Gumball Sweet Gum\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSelf Maintaining Ball\u003c\/strong\u003e: The naturally dense, congested branching means the head stays round with only light tidying.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAutumn Colour\u003c\/strong\u003e: Foliage turns through amber, scarlet and burgundy before dropping, strongest where autumn nights are cool.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContained Scale\u003c\/strong\u003e: A fraction of the species height, so it can sit near paving and buildings without the root and canopy problems of a full sized liquidambar.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinter Structure\u003c\/strong\u003e: The bare corky twigged head is geometric and reads well against render, brick or a clipped hedge behind.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFruit Free in Practice\u003c\/strong\u003e: It rarely produces the spiky gumballs that make the species a nuisance over paths and lawns.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMatched Pair at an Entry\u003c\/strong\u003e: Two standards flanking a door or gate give instant formality with a seasonal change.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormal Avenue in Small Spaces\u003c\/strong\u003e: A repeated row along a driveway or path where a full sized street tree would never fit.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge Container Planting\u003c\/strong\u003e: Suits generous pots on terraces and forecourts, given regular water.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAbove a Clipped Hedge\u003c\/strong\u003e: Raised heads floating above a low box or lilly pilly hedge create layered formal structure.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e Not a screening plant. In a continuous formal row allow 2 to 3m.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 3 to 4m for separated heads\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Winter dormancy through to early spring is ideal; autumn also works well\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deep, moisture retentive but free draining soil, slightly acidic to neutral. Avoid highly alkaline ground, which brings on leaf yellowing.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Keep soil consistently moist through the first two summers, as heat stress on a young graft cuts autumn colour short. Mulch the root zone, keep the stem clear, and rub off any shoots that appear on the trunk or from the rootstock so the head stays the only growing point.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 to 3m overall, set by the graft height plus the head\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 to 2.5m head diameter\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Slow to moderate\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deciduous\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun for best autumn colour, tolerates light afternoon shade\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e Species native to eastern North America and Central America; ‘Gumball’ is a cultivated selection\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Insignificant\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"100L","offer_id":59795375980830,"sku":"ND-1098-100L","price":2250.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/wr2HdmiSZbcyZzOZYj1-R_sf9oKBUZ.jpg?v=1787314523","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/liquidambar-styraciflua-gumball-standards","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}