Liquidambar styraciflua Autumn Color Globe - American Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua 'Autumn Color Globe' is a small variety of American Sweetgum, grafted on a stem, which is distinguished by its overall rounded crown. This deciduous tree has an elegant palmate foliage that beautifully colours in autumn. A variety well suited to small gardens, to be grown in moist, non-limestone soil.

The 'Autumn Color Globe' Sweetgum is a horticultural selection. The American Sweetgum is a tree of the hamamelidaceae family, in which many plants with beautiful autumn colours can be found, such as Witch Hazels, Parrotias, and Loropetalums. This majestic tree is native to North America, specifically the banks of large rivers such as the Mississippi and Ohio, for example. Its name, Liquidambar, comes from the Latin word "liquidus," meaning liquid, and the Arabic word "ambar," meaning amber, due to the aromatic amber-coloured sap that flows from its bark. Discovered in 1528, it was introduced to Europe in 1681.

The 'Autumn Color Globe' Sweetgum gradually forms a relatively modest tree. The shape of its crown is not really spherical, as its name suggests. But this variety can be integrated into a not very large garden. Its height after 10 years of cultivation reaches approximately 4 m. Its crown measures about 3.50 m in width. The growth of this cultivar is slow. The deciduous foliage is another asset of this tree. It consists of palmate leaves, divided into 5 to 9 finely toothed triangular lobes, arranged alternately on the branches. Dark green from spring to summer, they are adorned with flamboyant colours, yellow, orange, coppery, scarlet, burgundy, and violet in autumn. The inconspicuous flowering occurs in April on specimens aged 25 years and older, in the form of upright male catkins separated from the female flowers, in the form of pendant clusters measuring 2 to 3 cm in diameter. After pollination, pompom-like fruits are formed, somewhat resembling those of the plane tree. Each fruit is composed of several capsules that contain small winged seeds, similar to maple samaras. The bark of the sweetgum is dark brown, traversed by corky crevices. The lifespan of this beautiful tree is approximately 150 years. This very hardy tree requires a non-limestone soil, deep, damp without being swampy, and a sunny exposure.

Liquidambar styraciflua 'Autumn Color Globe' will delight enthusiasts who do not have a sufficiently large garden to adopt the species. It can be installed either as a specimen tree on a lawn, in a shrub grove, or on either side of a gate. To create a beautiful autumn palette, it can be associated with other colourful small trees such as Ginkgo Biloba 'Globus', Toona sinensis 'Flamingo', Purple Hazelnut, Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood', etc.

Properties:

The aromatic resin exuded by the bark is also called styrax or liquidambar balm. It was once used in aromatherapy, primarily by indigenous populations, and then, upon its arrival in Europe, by cosmetics manufacturers who incorporated it into various preparations such as milks or beauty creams. The wood of the sweetgum, with its reddish-brown colour, renowned for its scent and workable qualities, was widely used in cabinetmaking for the production of precious furniture.