Liquidambar styraciflua It is a deciduous tree that belongs to the Altingiaceae family. Known as amber tree, storach tree, storach, sweetgum, ocozol or American sweetgum it is a native species of North America.
It is a fast growing deciduous tree with striated bark and a pyramidal crown that reaches 35 m in height. Petiolate leaves are palmate or lobed orange, red, or purple in fall. It is a monoecious species with simple flowers and compound fruits with winged seeds..
It is grown as an ornamental plant in squares, parks or large gardens due to its large size and the color of its leaves during autumn. The compact fine-grained wood is used in carpentry, in addition the roots, bark and resin have medicinal properties such as antidiarrheal, febrifuge and sedative.
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It is a deciduous tree with a pyramidal bearing that measures 25-40 m in height and is 1-2 m thick at chest height. The straight trunk deeply fissured with discontinuous cork sheets, is branched from the base with alternate, ascending and thin branches.
The suberified outer bark is greyish in color, the inner yellowish-creamy, fibrous and bitter; a crystalline resin emanates from the bark. The deep and extended pivoting root system features creeping, extensive, woody and hard roots.
It has simple spiral leaves, with 3-5 triangular lobes, serrated margins, wider than long (5-15 cm wide by 4-12 cm long). The petiole is usually 6-10 cm, with 3-4 mm basal stipules. Its color is dark green and it turns orange, red and purple during the fall. Strong smell of turpentine.
Monoecious species. The male inflorescences of conical shape and glaucous tones are arranged in straight pedunculated racemes 4-8 cm long. The small female flowers lack sepals and petals, organizing themselves in a large number of spherical and hanging green inflorescences..
The fruit is a shiny black woody head 2-4 cm in diameter arranged on a 5-7 cm long peduncle. Each head contains 20-50 septicidal bilocular capsules containing the seeds that are dispersed with the help of the wind..
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Saxifragales
- Family: Altingiaceae
- Gender: Liquidambar
- Species: Liquidambar styraciflua L. Sp. Pl., Vol. 2 P. 999, 1753.
- Liquidambar: the name of the genus comes from the Latin term "liquidus" and the Arabic word "ambar". The latter in reference to the amber resin that emanates from its bark..
- styraciflua: The specific adjective is constituted by the union of the terms "styrax" and "ciflua" which means "Styrax rubber".
- Liquidambar barbata Stokes
- Liquidambar gummifera Salisbury
- L. macrophylla Oerst.
- L. styraciflua F. rotundiloba Rehder
- Liquidambar styraciflua var. mexican Oerst.
- Burgundy: persistent winter leaves, dark red and purple.
- Clydesform: commercially known as "Emerald Sentinel®", it is a tree with a columnar or narrow columnar appearance that reaches up to 9 m in height. It has yellow and orange leaves.
- Festival: columnar plant with light green leaves during the summer and bright shades of yellow, red and pink during the fall.
- Goduzam or Golden Powder: plant with variegated foliage, shades of pink, red or purple during the fall.
- Grazam: tree with a pyramidal structure. Orange, red, or purple leaves in the summer.
- Gumball: short-growing or shrubby dwarf cultivar, barely 2 m tall. The leaves are red and purple.
- Moraine: rounded crown, fast growing plant, red leaves, adapts to very low temperature conditions.
- Palo Alto: characteristic cultivar of California. Leaves present various shades of red during fall.
- Parasol: rounded crown, reaches 10 m in height. The leaves have a deep red hue.
- Rotundiloba: the leaves of this sterile cultivar are characterized by their rounded lobes.
- Slender Silhouette: very narrow columnar plant.
- Worplesdon: orange, red and purple leaves.
It is native to the temperate regions of North America, from southern New York, southwestern Missouri, eastern Texas, and south-central Florida. In the wild it is found in California, Florida and Mexico. In addition, some specific varieties are native to Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua..
It grows on clay-loam soils, humid, compact and slightly acidic. It is a species that tolerates heavy and poorly drained soils, and is not very tolerant of saline soils..
In alkaline conditions it tends to develop chlorosis in the foliage, mainly in soils with a low content of organic matter. Flowering occurs from March to May, and fruit ripening occurs in late autumn, when it releases its seeds..
It is geographically distributed throughout the temperate regions of the planet. In fact, it has been successfully introduced as far afield as Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Europe, Hawaii, New Zealand, South Africa, Uruguay, and Zimbabwe..
It is located in open fields, forests, flooded plains, swamps or around waterways. It grows in an altitudinal range from sea level to 800 m altitude.
In some high areas, such as the Bogotá savanna at more than 2,650 meters above sea level, it has adapted in altitude, temperature and rainfall, maintaining its characteristic foliage. In the United States it grows in low ranges of altitude, while in Mesoamerica it adapts to higher altitudes in temperate climates.
The propagation of the American sweetgum by means of seeds takes place during the fall, since the seeds require a cold pre-germination process. The sowing is done in pots with substrates for acid plants based on blond peat, perlite, sand, compost or organic fertilizer..
It is recommended to place 2 seeds per point, water, apply a fungicide product to prevent the appearance of fungi and cover with a thin layer of substrate. The pots are placed outdoors, under partial shade and frequent watering with a sprayer; seeds germinate in early spring.
In environmental conditions of hot weather and very mild frosts, it is recommended to apply a pre-germination process. In this case, the ideal is to stratify the seeds in the fridge for three months and sow in mid-March..
Vegetative propagation through side branch cuttings takes place in late winter. The 35-40 cm long cuttings are selected from semi-hardwood branches on healthy, strong and vigorous plants, free from pests and diseases..
It is advisable to apply phytohormones that promote the emission of rootlets. The cuttings are placed in a fertile substrate and kept under greenhouse conditions. If the conditions are right, the cuttings begin the emission of new roots after 1-2 months.
The American sweetgum actually grows in full solar explosion, with ideal temperatures ranging between 10-20 ºC. In fact, solar radiation during autumn influences the variation in the color of its leaves..
The planting area requires sufficient space and depth, since the roots need a deep space to expand and can be easily propagated.
It grows on clay-textured soils, rich in organic matter, slightly acidic (pH 4-6), very humid, but well drained. In the initial phase of growth it can be kept in pots as long as a fertile substrate is used and the environmental conditions allow it..
It is recommended to make monthly applications of organic fertilizers during the spring and early fall. In the event that the soil has a high pH, higher than 7, it is advisable to apply an amendment with chelated iron.
Irrigation should be abundant and frequent during the summer, limited and occasional during the winter. In general, it is recommended to water 4-5 times a week during the summer, and the rest of the year every 3-4 days.
The wild American sweetgum does not require frequent pruning, but it is advisable to remove diseased or dead branches, avoiding causing injuries to the bark. To do this, it is necessary to use sharp pruning shears or manual saws, depending on the size of the branch to be removed..
Grown as an ornamental plant in parks or gardens, once it reaches the desired height, the main bud must be cut to favor the growth of lateral branches. In the same way, it is necessary to limit the growth of the lateral branches to give it the desired shape..
This species is very resistant to cold, since it supports up to -15 ºC. However, it is not adapted to regions without occasional frost..
It is a fast growing, long-lived and highly rustic tree, little affected by pests and diseases. However, under adverse conditions it can be attacked by caterpillars or insects that affect the bark and foliage..
Similarly, it can be affected by pathogenic fungi that cause leaf spots, wood rot or root necrosis. They can even show chlorosis if the soils are too alkaline. It is advisable to determine the causes and apply the necessary corrections.
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