TRISTANIOPSIS laurina Luscious ‘DOW10’ (Water Gum)

Water Gum Luscious (Tristaniopsis laurina 'DOW10') is the Australian native street tree selected for larger, glossier leaves than the plain species. In a garden it settles at around 7m to 9m tall and 4m wide over 10 to 15 years, with peeling cream and orange bark and roots well behaved enough to plant beside a driveway. This listing is an ex ground specimen already standing at 5m to 5.5m.

Why you'll love it

• Roots that stay out of trouble. Non-invasive, which is why councils plant it as a street tree, so it can sit near paths, driveways and services.
• Bark and leaf all year. Evergreen, with big glossy foliage and trunks that shed in cream, orange and rust patches.
• It handles wet and dry. Naturally a creek bank tree, so it tolerates wet feet, then copes with dry once established.
• Coastal ready. Salt on an exposed block does not burn it, and the yellow summer flowers bring birds in.

Where it works best

Driveways and avenues. Plant 4m apart for an even avenue. At that spacing the canopies meet into a continuous line while each trunk stays visible below.

Shade and screening. A rounded canopy at 7m to 9m casts usable shade over a courtyard or lawn, and a row at 4m screens a neighbouring second storey without overwhelming a suburban block.

Growing water gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade, in tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and cool temperate gardens. It takes light frost once established, so frost prone districts want a sheltered position and protection through the first two winters.

Soil. Not fussy. It grows naturally along creek lines, so it accepts heavy and periodically wet ground that would kill most trees. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. A tree this size needs consistent deep watering for its first two summers while the root system rebuilds, twice weekly in warm weather. A controlled release native fertiliser in early spring is enough.

Pruning. Little is needed. Lift the lower limbs gradually if you want clearance under the canopy, and prune in the warmer months rather than mid winter.

What to expect when it arrives

This is an ex ground tree, field grown and lifted with a root ball rather than raised in a pot, supplied at 5m to 5.5m. You are buying immediate height: real trunk calliper and a formed canopy on day one. Expect some leaf drop in the weeks after planting while the root ball settles.

Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Plants are delivered Australia wide with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every tree is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Have machinery and a crew on site, because a tree this weight cannot be handled by hand.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse ex ground advanced trees
• Trees for driveways and avenues
• Trees with non-invasive roots
• The best canopy trees for shade

Common questions

How far apart should I plant them for an avenue?

4m apart. That gives an even canopy line along a drive without the crowns crowding, and it matches the mature width of the tree.

Will the roots lift my driveway?

This is one of the safer large trees near hard surfaces, which is why it is used so widely as a street tree. Keep about a metre of clearance from the edge of concrete as good practice.

What is the difference between ex ground and a potted tree?

Ex ground trees are grown in the field and lifted with a root ball, which is how advanced stock of this size is produced. You get far more height for the money, in exchange for attentive watering through the first two summers.

Does it cope with a wet or boggy spot?

Better than most trees. Its natural home is a creek bank, so it tolerates periodic wet feet, though it still prefers ground that drains eventually.