Sweet Gum

Liquidambar styraciflua

• Position: sun
• Soil: moist, well-drained, acidic to neutral soil
• Rate of growth: fairly fast-growing
• Flowering period: May
• Hardiness: hardy

  
  A gorgeous tree, with large, star-like, shiny, bright green leaves which turn spectacular shades of orange, red, purple and yellow in the autumn. Its shape is broadly conical, and although it grows slowly, it is not suitable for a small garden, as it is long-lived and will eventually grow to 25 metres. In Britain, it flowers intermittently and inconspiculously in spring, but it is for the foliage that this tree is prized. Grow it either as a specimen tree in grass, or as the centrepiece to a glade. Trees grown in a rich, damp soil in full sun will colour the best.
  

• Garden care: When planting, incorporate lots of well-rotted manure or garden compost into the planting hole and stake firmly. Requires minimal pruning. Remove any broken, diseased or crossing branches in late autumn or winter.
  
  
• Goes well with: Viburnum sargentii 'Onondaga', Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln', Festuca glauca 'Golden Toupee', Cyclamen coum, Hyacinthoides hispanica, Galanthus nivalis 'Flore Pleno'
  
  

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