Liquidambar orientalis

Sweetgums are very popular trees from the USA. Thanks to the leaf shape they are often mistaken for maples. However, leaves of sweet gum are more star-shaped and usually smaller. They fall down late, throughout winter and the tree is decorated with fruits, which are small, spiny spheres.

Oriental sweetgum is a beautiful, slow growing shrub or a small tree from SW Asia. It bears attractive, deeply cut leaves that are fresh green from spring until late summer, and turning rich yellow in neutral soil or orange and red in highly acidic soil in autumn. Each lobe is decorated with a pair of small antlers along the sides. Bark is smooth and on young twigs glossy and burgundy red.

Oriental sweet gum forms an elegant, densely branched shrub of a somewhat pyramidal when young, becoming more rounded with age. Pruning is not needed, though, it can be trimmed and shaped in late winter. It likes any reasonably fertile, well drained but evenly moist soil. In acid soil it will make better autumn colours after a good summer with plenty of sunshine. Autumn colouring may be damaged by arrival of precocious frosts. Hardy to about -25°C (USDA zone 5b-6).

Last update 24-02-2012