Liquidambars
Liquidambars are some of the most handsome of all ornamental trees but are often overlooked in garden design and deserve to be more widely planted. Contrary to the popular belief that they need lime-free soils, Liquidambars grow well in a wide range of soils provided there is adequate moisture available. They thrive in clay soils and will grow happily on acid, neutral or slightly limey soils. While Liquidambar styraciflua is capable of growing to a height of 15-20 metres in this country, the cultivars are generally smaller. A specimen of L. s. 'Lane Roberts' planted 20 years ago on our slightly alkaline, heavy clay soil has now developed into an upright conical tree, 6 metres tall with the lower branches spreading to 2.5-3 metres. I know of no other genus which gives as longer period of autumn colour.
The large 'maple like' leaves usually start colouring as early as mid August and will often remain on the tree well into December. The cultivars of L. styraciflua have larger, more defined leaves than the species and the autumn colours are more reliable and richer. L. s. 'Lane Roberts' and 'Burgundy' have the darkest autumn colour of all the cultivars going through orange and red before finally taking on the characteristic black crimson red colour.
L. s. 'Moonbeam' has yellow green young foliage, developing into a fresh lime green colour before turning rich maroon
in the autumn.
L. s. 'Palo Alto': This cultivar is more upright growing than others in the group developing into a narrow conical tree. The mid green foliage turning rich crimson.
L.s. 'Silver King', 'Golden Treasure' and 'Aurea' are all variegated cultivars. 'Silver King has a broad, cleanly defined cream edge to the leaf;
'Golden Treasure' is similar but with yellow variegation and much slower growing.
'Aurea' has mottled variegation. With all these varieties the green areas of the leaf changes to maroon red while the paler section remains unchanged. This is particularly striking in 'Silver King'.
L. s. 'Worplesdon' has distinct foliage with 5 long dentated lobes. Bright green foliage turning orange yellow.
L. s. 'Gumball' is a compact shrubby form growing only to 2-3 metres with orange, red and purple autumn colours.
Two separate species we grow at the nursery are L. orientals and L. acalycina. The former is a smaller tree than styraciflua growing to 4 meters or so with smaller, deeply lobed leaves turning orange red. L. acalycina is quite
distinct with 3 lobed leaves which are a smoky purple colour in spring and early summer changing to maroon in the autumn.