Liquidambar styraciflua

Don't like those prickly little seed balls? Then the fruitless sweetgum may be just the tree for you. This cultivar has the same colorful foliage in the fall, the only difference is the leaves are a little more rounded instead of pointed and there are virtually no fruit balls. You may occasionally see a few small ones, but  nothing to concern yourself with.  These sweetgum will reach heights of about 60-75' with spreads of around 40-60'.

When To Plant: Sweetgum may be planted in the spring or the fall.

Where To Plant: They seem to like moist, fertile soils. If you try planting them in heavy clay soil and you are asking for problems. They require plenty of space and have an extensive root system.

How To Plant: After selecting a site with lots of room and lots of sun, dig your planting hole about twice the size of the root ball and no deeper. Add Back To Nature or Hu-More to your soil you have taken out of the hole. Backfill using your amended soil and water as you go to remove any air pockets in the soil. Mulch with about a 2-3" layer to hold in moisture and prevent weed growth. It is very important to keep your tree watered and not allow it to dry out.

Care and Maintenance: Sweetgum trees like to be watered during dry spells. They also need to be fertilized early in the spring with a good, all purpose tree fertilizer. They do sometimes have some pest problems such as webworms, caterpillars, scale; so keep an eye on your tree for potential problems.