American Sweetgum

American Sweetgum Care

Liquidambar Styraciflua

What is the plant

Liquidambar is a deciduous tree with leaves that turn splendid yellow, various shades of orange, burgundy purple and many different shades of red in the autumn. It is an attractive bonsai tree whether it has green leaves, colored leaves or no leaves.The American Liquidambar has been cultivated over the years to produce different varieties that have specific leaf colors in the autumn. Asian Liquidambar has not yet been hybridized for this, but the leaves still give a colorful show. Japanese Maples need cold weather to product the fall colors, but Liquidambar will produce reliable fall colors in warm climates too.

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Lighting

Full Sun

Hardiness zone

5b - 9b

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Watering sweet gum during the first two years after planting, water your sweet gum regularly, especially in case of dry spell or extreme heat. once properly settled in, sweetgum normally is able to answer its needs by finding water in the soil on its own, so no need to water anymore. learn more about sweetgum
Pruning
Make judicious cuts to encourage new growth. Cut just before a leaf node. Or when cutting back larger stems, cut as close to the main stem as possible.
Fertilizer
Mix the recommended amount of liquid fertilizer and water in a watering can. Then simply pour the mix into the soil as if you're watering the plant.

Disease diagnosis

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Sunlight
Semi-shade – this plant needs a lot of sunlight, but it has to be protected from the strongest rays of the sun.
Soil
Loose, light, humus soil is ideal for this plant.
Container
Choose a pot that is 2.5-5.08 cm (1-2”) larger than the current size.