Description
Liquidambar styraciflua or American Sweet Gum is a large, undemanding tree, which is pollution resistant. It originally grows in a broad, pyramidal shape but matures with a rounded crown due to its heavy top branches. Native to USA and central America it is grown widely as a popular forest and ornamental tree. It is a deciduous tree growing eventually up to 20m tall, but taking around 50 years to achieve this height.
It produces large, 5-7 lobed, star-shaped leaves which emerge bright green in the spring then changing to fabulous red, purple and gold colours throughout the autumn; Liquidambar is one of the very best trees for autumn colour and one of the last deciduous trees to drop its leaves.
Due to the shape of the tree and its leaves, it can be confused with the Maple Tree. The Sweet Gum has attractive bark which serves as feature the whole year. It also produces round, spikey fruits that grow on long peduncles, hanging like baubles from the tree in winter.
The common name sweet gum refers to the sweet resinous sap which exudes when the trunk is cut. This sap has many uses both medicinally and as a resin and has even been used in chewing gum.
We have this stunning tree available as multi-stem, pleached and as a low level screen, set out on a 180 x 120 frame.
Ideal Conditions: Best in fertile, well-drained soil, not suitable for lime or chalky soils. Enjoys full sun or partial shade.
Maximum Height: 15-20m in cultivation and up to 45m in the wild
For more screening options please check out our blog here – evergreen screens. Liquidamber styraciflua makes a beautiful deciduous screen and is featured at the bottom of the page.
