Botanical Name: Liquidambar styraciflua, 'Burgundy'
Common Name: American Sweet Gum
Type of Plant: dicot: tree
Character deciduous
 
Habit of Growth:
Overall Shape an erect, single-trunked tree (sometimes develops a second leader part-way up canopy); develops strongly pyramidal form when young; white corky bark develops on older branches; lateral branches short, spread horiz.
Height 20-40' (60')
Spread 1/2-2/3
Growth Rate moderate
 
Environment:
Exposure outdoors full or partial sun; develops better fall color in full sun
Soil a deep moist loam preferred-tolerates wet soils
Hardiness hardy (zones 1-9, 14-24); thrives in warm humid areas
 
Morphology:
Leaves palmate, alternate, 5-7 lobed; 3-7" wide, with serrate lobes; petioles are 4-6" long; foliage is bright green;turns purple-red in fall
Flowers unisexual, small, lack petals; pistillate flowers are in round heads (1" diameter); the staminate flowers in small terminal racemes
Fruit tiny capsules; crowded in the round head "spiny ball"
 
Propagation:
seed, followed by grafting
 
Usage:
widely used vertical accent tree form, prized for fall color and branch structure; suitable for lawn or street tree; for groves or screens; shallow surface roots and suckering is a problem; fruit-drop
 
Landscape Care:
Watering regular; tolerates lawn watering-can survive drought after established
Fertilizing balanced, in spring; add iron to correct chlorosis
Pruning very little; remove only lowest branches
Pests/Diseases relatively free; resistant to oak root fungus
Special Conditions/Other
 
Origin: Eastern United States
Family: Hamamelidaceae

Notes:
 
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