Interest in the sweetgum tree has been aroused. Now we want to plant a specimen that is really top-notch. But finding your way in the world of numerous varieties can be a real challenge
Which sweetgum tree varieties are best suited for the garden?
Recommended varieties of American sweetgum include 'Gumball' (spherical crown), 'Stella' (deep-cut foliage, dark red in autumn), 'Worplesdon' (fiery red in autumn), 'Variegata' (white variegated foliage), 'Oktoberglut' (yellow, orange and red in autumn) and 'Silver King' (green and white variegated foliage, orange, red and purple in autumn).
The most famous sweetgum tree: The American sweetgum tree
Basically, it is advisable to only plant the American sweetgum tree in this country. It is the only species that is hardy. You can also find it under the name Liquidambar styraciflua. It can survive temperatures down to -24 °C (in sheltered locations) without any problems.
Lesser known species
The other three species, however, are much less known. Here they are listed with their areas of origin:
- Taiwanese sweetgum tree (Liquidambar formosana): Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, China
- Chinese sweetgum tree (Liquidambar acalycina): China, Japan
- Oriental sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis): Greece, Turkey
Spherical crown wanted? 'Gumball' has it
If you don't have the space for a sweetgum tree up to 40 m high and 8 m wide, you can make the right choice with the ball sweetgum tree. It can also often be found commercially under the name Liquidambar styraciflua 'Gumball'.
This variety is short in stature. It grows to a maximum height of 2 m. It also grows quite slowly with 5 to 10 cm of new growth per year. You can plant it in the home garden and even in a pot on the terrace, for example.
The crown of this variety is uniquely spherical and is naturally so. Here you don't need to cut regularly to maintain the spherical shape. In autumn the foliage of this variety turns red and yellow.
Other recommended varieties of the American sweetgum tree
But it's not just 'Gumball' that's popular. How about the 'Stella' variety, for example? It is characterized by deeply cut, dark green foliage. In autumn it turns dark red. This variety can grow up to 25 m tall. She therefore belongs to the 'middle class'.
These varieties have also proven themselves:
- 'Worplesdon': weak growth, symmetrical appearance, 10 m high, fire red in autumn
- 'Variegata': 2 m high, white variegated foliage, suitable for pots
- 'Oktoberglu': yellow, orange and red in autumn, 3 m high, slow-growing
- 'Silver King': 5 m high, reddish-brown bark, green-white variegated foliage, orange, red to purple in autumn
Tip
If you have a winter garden, you can also venture into cold-sensitive specimens such as the Oriental sweetgum tree. Put it in the pot and bring it into the winter garden in autumn!
