Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' 12ltr pot

Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' – Columnar Sweet Gum – 12ltr Pot

Most sweet gums need a large garden, but 'Slender Silhouette' offers the same autumn show in a fraction of the space. It was found growing wild in Tennessee and grows as a tall, strikingly narrow column, clothed in dense, glossy, star-shaped leaves. In autumn the whole tree turns shades of orange, flame red and brilliant purple-red. It makes a strong vertical accent in a smaller garden, courtyard or contemporary scheme, and a row of them makes an elegant screen or avenue where a broad tree simply wouldn't fit.

Plant in full sun for the best autumn colour, although it will tolerate partial shade. It prefers moist but well-drained, neutral to acid soil and grows in clay, loam or sand. Avoid chalky or strongly alkaline ground. It is fully hardy (RHS H6) and copes with exposed or sheltered positions. Water regularly through its first couple of summers while it establishes. After that it needs little attention and almost no pruning, because the narrow shape comes naturally. Heavy feeding encourages looser growth, so a leaner soil keeps the column tighter. Sweet gum is not considered toxic to people or pets. It may produce round, prickly seed capsules in autumn. Expect a height of 12m or more within 10–20 years, with a spread of just 2.5–4m.

Supplied in a 12 litre pot. Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.