LIQUIDAMBAR styraciflua (Sweet Gum)

The Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is the tree people picture when they think of autumn colour: star shaped leaves running through yellow, orange, scarlet and deep purple, often all at once on the same tree. It is a large shade tree, reaching around 15m tall and 8m across, and fast enough to be worth planting in your own lifetime. This one is supplied ex ground, field grown and lifted as an advanced specimen.

Why you'll love it

• Autumn colour with real depth. Few trees grown here give the same range, and the display holds for weeks.
• Fast to useful shade. It is a genuinely fast grower, so a canopy worth sitting under does not take a generation.
• Frost hardy and wind tolerant. It handles cold winters and exposed positions that stop softer ornamental trees.
• It copes with wet ground. Wet feet tolerant, so the damp low corner of a paddock or a poorly drained lawn is fair game.

Where it works best

Shade tree on a large block. Allow 8m of clear width, well away from paving, paths and pipes.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees 8m to 10m apart along a long drive so the canopies meet overhead without crowding each other.

Feature planting. One tree centred in a lawn, with room to be seen from a distance.

Growing sweet gum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and subtropical gardens, though the colour is climate driven: cold autumn nights produce the strongest reds and purples.

Soil. Deep soil suits it best and it is more forgiving of heavy, damp ground than most large trees. It is not a tree for a shallow, compacted verge.

Water and feed. After transplanting, water is the whole job: deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, tapering as the roots move out. Mulch 100mm deep over the root zone, and feed once in early spring.

Pruning. Very little. Establish a single leader early, lift the lower branches only for clearance, and leave the natural pyramid alone.

What to expect when it arrives

It is offered in one specimen size, shown on this page. Trees of this scale need machinery and a clear access path to place, so arrange that before delivery day.

It is deciduous, and it moves best while dormant, so a tree delivered in winter will be bare. Expect a quiet first season while the root system rebuilds, then real growth. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost with specialist transport, delivered Australia wide and our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full ex ground trees range.
• Read our guide to transplanting trees and shrubs.
• Compare the best canopy trees for shade.
• See more autumn colour plants.

Common questions

What does ex ground mean?

The tree was grown in a field, not a container, and is dug and lifted with a root ball when you order it. Ex ground trees give you far more size for the money, and they need to be planted promptly and watered carefully for the first two summers.

Will it colour up in a warm climate?

It will colour, but not as intensely. Autumn tone depends on cold nights, so subtropical gardens tend to get yellows and oranges later in the season rather than the deep reds of a cool temperate garden.

Are the roots a problem near paving?

They can be. Liquidambar has vigorous surface roots that lift paths, driveways and slabs over time. Keep it at least 8m from hard surfaces and services, and do not plant it in a narrow street verge.

Is it an Australian native?

No, despite being widely planted here. Sweet gum is native to North America. It is well suited to a wide range of Australian climates, but it is an exotic ornamental, not a native.