Sweetgum Pleached Tree (Liquidambar Styraciflua)

Sweetgum Pleached Tree Description

The Sweetgum pleached tree is a highly attractive and versatile deciduous tree, prized for its star-shaped leaves, vibrant autumn colours, and distinctive spiky seed pods. When trained into a pleached form, it takes on a formal, structured appearance, making it an ideal choice for adding height, privacy, and visual interest to gardens, parks, and urban landscapes. The tree's stunning seasonal display and structured growth pattern make it a standout feature, perfect for creating a striking focal point or a unique hedge.

In spring, the Sweetgum produces small, inconspicuous flowers that are greenish-yellow in colour and grouped in clusters. These are followed by the development of spiky seed pods, often referred to as "gumballs", which add texture and interest throughout the winter months. Though the flowers are not particularly showy, the gumballs offer an appealing feature during the colder seasons.

One of the tree's most striking features is its autumn display. The star-shaped leaves turn rich shades of red, orange, purple, and yellow in autumn, providing a stunning display of colour before falling. This seasonal transformation adds a vibrant burst of colour to the garden during the cooler months, making the Sweetgum a particularly attractive tree for those who enjoy a changing seasonal palette.

Pruning Advice

Pruning is essential for maintaining the tree's pleached form and ensuring its long-term health. Here are some key pruning tips for the Sweetgum pleached tree:

Timing: The best time to prune is late winter or early spring, when the tree is still dormant. This allows the tree to recover quickly once the growing season begins. Light pruning can also be done during the growing season to maintain the tree’s shape and remove any unwanted growth.

Shaping: The primary purpose of pruning a pleached tree is to maintain its clean, formal structure. Regularly prune back any side branches or lateral growth that disrupt the symmetrical, horizontal framework of the tree. Prune to create a clear trunk with a well-defined canopy.

Removing Dead or Diseased Wood: Always remove any dead, damaged, or diseased wood to maintain the health of the tree. Cut back any branches that show signs of rot or disease to promote overall vitality and prevent the spread of disease.

Encouraging Strong Growth: Regular pruning can encourage strong new growth and help the tree develop a fuller, denser canopy. This is especially important in the early years as the tree establishes its form.

Annual Maintenance: Regular, light pruning throughout the year will help keep the tree’s pleached shape intact. Inspect the tree annually to ensure that there are no unruly branches or shoots disrupting the form. Pruning regularly will keep the tree healthy, neat, and visually appealing.

Further Information

Spectacular Autumn Colour: The vibrant autumn colours of the Sweetgum tree are one of its biggest attractions. The leaves turn fiery red, orange, and yellow, creating a beautiful display in the cooler months, and adding visual interest throughout the autumn season.

Distinctive Seed Pods: The spiky seed pods or “gumballs” are an interesting feature of the Sweetgum tree. Though not edible, they provide visual interest throughout the winter months and can add a unique texture to the landscape.

Structure and Elegance: The pleached form of the Sweetgum creates a well-structured, formal look. The clean lines of the trunk and branches give it an elegant, tidy appearance, ideal for creating privacy screens or hedging in formal garden designs or urban environments.

Moderate Growth and Manageability: With a moderate growth rate, the Sweetgum tree grows steadily, reaching its mature height of around 6 to 8 metres when pleached. This makes it an ideal choice for larger gardens or urban spaces where a tree of this size can be accommodated without overwhelming the space.

Wildlife-Friendly: Although not a major fruit-bearing tree, the Sweetgum's flowers and seed pods attract various wildlife. The flowers can support pollinators like bees in spring, while the seed pods may provide food for birds and small mammals in the winter months.

Delivery & Returns

Free delivery is available on most orders (except Premium Products) providing they meet the minimum spend criteria for the size of box or pallet. Pallet deliveries and large box deliveries for tall plants are indicated by icons on the product table listings. Delivery costs and minimum order details for each packaging type are as follows:

* Standard Sized Boxes (Bare root up to 1.2m tall & pots up to 7.5L) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £250 | or £9.98 charge.

* Tall Sized Boxes (Bare roots 1.2m & over) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £250 | or £24.99 charge.

* Pallets (Root balls, large pots 10L+, trees etc | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £350 | or £82 charge.

* Pleached Trees (Specialist Delivery) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £1500 | or £450 charge.