Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball

Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball
Liquidambar is a small genus of deciduous trees with maple-like alternate leaves that usually colour well in autumn. Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball, also called Sweet Gum Gum Ball is the perfect sweet gum tree for small gardens! A dwarf cultivar of the North American native deciduous tree Liquidambar Styraciflua it was discovered in Tennessee in 1965 and grafted onto a clear stem to create an attractive round crown. Along with the deeply ribbed grey bark, the rounded mophead of this cultivar provide interest even in winter when its branches are bare. In late spring the maple-shaped, deeply lobed light green leaves emerge and darken to a deep glossy green over the summer until they turn bright shades of orange, red and purple in autumn, sometimes remaining on the tree well into the winter. Its insignificant flowers of April and May produce small, brown spiky balls which remain on the tree after the leaves have fallen.

Height and Spread of Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball
Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball will grow to 1.5-2.5 metres high in 10 years, slowly reaching a mature height of 3-5 metres and spread of 2-4 metres.

How Hardy Is Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball?
Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball is fully hardy in the UK.

How to Use Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball
Sweet Gum Gum Ball can be used in gardens large and small with equal effectiveness. The small size of this Sweet Gum tree makes it ideal for patios and courtyard settings, where all the glory of a Liquidambar Styraciflua’s autumn colour can be enjoyed in a smaller package! Liquidambar Gum Ball is equally well-suited to being planted in symmetrical pairs in a formal garden, or used in an informal cottage garden as a bright focal point in autumn.

How to Care for Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball
Plant Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball in full sun or partial shade in moist but well-drained fertile sand, clay, or loam soil with an acid to neutral pH. Avoid very windy spots. Moderately tolerant of both aerosol salt and pollution, Sweet Gum Gum Ball can be planted in both coastal regions and cities. They are deer-resistant and so can be planted without special protection on country properties. Pruning to maintain the rounded shape of the crown can be done in winter.

Liquidambar Styraciflua Gum Ball brings all the glory of a full-grown Sweet Gum tree to smaller spaces- the attractive mophead and brilliant autumn colour can fit into almost any UK garden!