see out how to acquire a native sweet gum tree so you’re able to love its shade and beautiful drop foliage .
DEAN SCHOEPPNER
Sweet gum trees(Liquidambar styraciflua ) , also call sweetgum trees , are known for their distinctive , five - place glossy green leaves that change by reversal white-livered , Au , red , pinkish , and purple in fall , as well as the expectant number ofspikey seed gumballsthey bring about each year . Sweet gum trees are aboriginal throughout the eastern U.S. to central Florida and east Texas . The fall color of this Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree still explicate without cold temperature in warm climate areas .
Credit:DEAN SCHOEPPNER
A sweet gum grows rapidly , forming a consecutive , tall trunk early on before becoming broader and functioning as an excellent shade tree . This attractive deciduous tree diagram is n’t as popular as it once was due to its reputation for being messy . The spikey source pod can be a problem in lawn and patio area by making foot dealings hard . However , some seedless cultivar are available .
Where to Plant Sweet Gum
Plant sweet gingiva in full sun to fond shade inUSDA Hardiness Zones5 to 9 . It grows best inneutral to acidic soilthat is moist but well - draining . Choose an uncrowded space ; these tree need a large country for root development . And invest them where their gumballs wo n’t become annoying when they diminish to the ground .
How and When to Plant Sweet Gum
establish sweet gum tree in outflow . This is a shoal - rooted Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , and the root need several month to recover from transplantation . pick out aballed and burlapped treebecause of the shallow root scheme . The roots practice that first growing season to become established .
implant youthful tree in gob fag to the same astuteness as the theme ball is high-pitched and half again as panoptic . get rid of any protective cover , but entrust the gunny in place until the tree is pose in the hole . Then , veer away as much of the burlap as potential and backfill the hole , watering when the hole is half full . Top the grime with 2 to 3 in of mulch .
Sweet Gum Care Tips
Light
Afull - sun locationis good for sweet-smelling gum Tree , but they tolerate light ghost .
Soil and Water
establish seraphic gum trees in consistently moist , but well - debilitate soilthat has an acidic or neutral pH. Apply supplemental water to the new plants the first class , being certain that dry soil receives water . Water these shade trees during drouth to forbid dieback .
Temperature and Humidity
scented gum Tree prefer a temperature compass from 50 ° fluorine to 100 ° F and can get some dieback in cold atmospheric condition . The tree diagram is hardy to Zone 5 but benefits from theprotection of several inch of mulchfor its shallow roots in the cold part of its range . The tree abide heat and humidness well .
Fertilizer
In spring , fertilise perfumed chewing gum Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with alayer of compostor a balanced , slow - releasegranular fertilizeraccording to package commission . Add the compost or plant food to the top of the territory and piss it . Do n’t dig it in ; you might damage the shallow roots .
Pruning
Prune the treein mid - to - late summertime to take away any low - growing branches to make mowing easy . Remove damaged and all in branches when you see them .
Pests and Problems
unfermented gum is a quarry of squishy moths , but most other insects and disease rarely affect the tree diagram . Drought and cold temperatures can do some damage to the tree diagram too . In soils that are n’t acidic enough , sweet-scented gum tree can become chlorotic , a term where the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ca n’t take up enough nutrients so leafage bulge yellow .
How to Propagate Sweet Gum Trees
pull in the gumballs in other fall before they afford . Put them in a tray and wait for them to open up and release their seeds , which usually takes about a week . The seed can be store in the refrigerator until call for . Sweet mucilage tree seeds involve a 30 - to-60 - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. period ofcold stratification . Then , they can be planted in nursery containers in a sheltered area to produce seedling .
Types of Sweet Gum Trees
‘Burgundy’
The leaf ofLiquidambar styraciflua‘Burgundy ’ move around a bright scarlet purpleness in the nightfall . It is not as cold fearless as the coinage tree but grows well in zone 6 - 9 . It is peculiarly well adapt to the Deep South .
‘Gold Star’
Liquidambar styraciflua‘Gold Star ’ produces a endearing yellow fall color . This tree is narrower than the metal money and turn up to 60 foundation grandiloquent . It ’s dusty - hardy to Zone 5 and furnish an attractive vertical accent to the landscape .
‘Rotuniloba’
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘ Rotundiloba’grows 60 to 75 feet gamy and 20 - 30 foot wide in Zones 5 - 9 . The foliation turn yellow to burgundy in the fall . This tree diagram does not typeset fruit , so it is a particularly good choice for homeowners who do n’t desire to administer with gumballs .
Frequently Asked Questions
Many birds , such as mourn doves , finch , quail , turkey , Eastern towhee , Carolina chickadees , slate - coloured juncos , and white-hot - throated sparrows feed on the seminal fluid of sweet mucilage Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . small-scale mammalian such as chipmunks and squirrels also deplete the seeds . Many moth metal money , including the luna moth , employ the sweet gum as a larval boniface industrial plant .
The common name fresh gum refers to the redolent gum that oozes from wounds on the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
Credit:DEAN SCHOEPPNER
