{"product_id":"liquidambar-styraciflua-rotundiloba-fruitless-sweetgum","title":"Liquidambar styraciflua 'Rotundiloba' – Fruitless Sweetgum","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiquidambar styraciflua 'Rotundiloba' is a selected form of the sweetgum that does not set fruit. It carries the same autumn display as the species, without the hard spiky seed balls that drop onto lawns, paths and driveways through winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe leaves are the other difference. Where the species has sharp star shaped foliage, 'Rotundiloba' has deep green leaves with smooth rounded lobes. They turn yellow, then orange and burgundy red, and hold that colour for several weeks rather than dropping in a single week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt reaches around 12 metres tall and 7 metres wide. Young trees are narrow and pyramidal, broadening to an oval crown with age. Growth is moderate to fast in a full sun position with deep, humus rich soil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the liquidambar for a lawn, a pool surround, a driveway or a street frontage, anywhere the seed pods of the standard sweetgum would be a problem underfoot. For a large open space where pods are not an issue, the straight species is a cheaper option.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin:44px 0 16px;\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"font-size:14px;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:1.5px;margin:0 0 8px;padding-top:32px;border-top:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);text-transform:uppercase;color:currentColor;\"\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"margin:0 0 24px;color:currentColor;opacity:0.65;font-size:14px;font-style:italic;\"\u003eAbout Fruitless Sweetgum\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eIs 'Rotundiloba' really fruitless?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eYes. It was selected for exactly this reason and does not produce the woody spiked seed balls that the standard sweetgum drops through autumn and winter. That makes it a practical choice over lawn, paving, pool surrounds and anywhere people walk barefoot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eHow is it different from a normal Liquidambar?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eTwo differences. It sets no fruit, and the leaves have rounded lobes instead of the sharp points of the species. It is also a smaller tree, around 12 metres rather than 20 metres plus, which makes it workable on suburban blocks where a full size sweetgum would outgrow the space.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eHow big does it get?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eAround 12 metres tall and 7 metres wide at maturity. The habit is narrow and upright for the first years, then broadens into an oval crown. Allow at least 5 metres from a building and keep it clear of overhead wires.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eWhen does the autumn colour come?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eThrough April to June across southern Australia. The sequence runs yellow, then orange, then burgundy red, and it holds for an extended period rather than turning and dropping quickly. Cool autumn nights produce the strongest colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eWhere does it grow best?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eCool to temperate regions suit it best, including Victoria, the ACT, Tasmania, inland NSW and the Adelaide Hills. It wants full sun and a deep, humus rich, free draining soil. It will grow in warmer coastal gardens but autumn colour is less intense.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eWill it handle frost?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eYes. Sweetgums are frost hardy once established and cold winters are part of what drives the autumn display. Young trees in their first two winters benefit from a mulched root zone, but no other protection is needed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eIs it suitable as a street tree?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eIt is a strong street and nature strip choice, because the lack of seed pods removes the main complaint councils and residents have about liquidambars. Plant 6 to 8 metres apart for a canopy avenue.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003cdetails style=\"border-bottom:1px solid rgba(128,128,128,0.25);padding:18px 0;\"\u003e\u003csummary style=\"font-weight:500;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.4;padding-right:12px;font-size:16px;color:currentColor;\"\u003eHow much pruning does it need?\u003c\/summary\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 0;line-height:1.7;color:currentColor;opacity:0.85;\"\u003eVery little. Formative pruning in the first few winters to establish a single leader and clear trunk is all that is required. After that, remove damaged or crossing wood in winter and leave the canopy to develop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/details\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Evergreen Trees Direct","offers":[{"title":"40cm\/45L","offer_id":67825671930055,"sku":"LIQSTYROT40CM\/45L","price":290.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.evergreentrees.com.au\/products\/liquidambar-styraciflua-rotundiloba-fruitless-sweetgum","provider":"Evergreen Trees Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}