Pleached Sweet Gum Worplesdon

Sweet Gum 'Worplesdon' – Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ (Hamamelidaceae)

If you are looking for a tree that produces an explosion of colour in the autumn, then the Sweet Gum ‘Worplesdon’ must be on your list of trees. This deciduous ancestor of Liquidambar styraciflua is simply stunning. It is often confused with Maple due to its similarly shaped five-lobed leaves. Commonly found on the Eastern seaboard of the USA from South-Eastern New York to Florida and inland as well as parts of central America it reaches heights of 45m. However, in the cooler Northern European climate it seldom exceeds 12-18m and 8m wide.

The earliest record of the tree being introduced to Europe was in 1681 when John Banister planted one in Fulham London at the palace gardens.

As a medium sized tree, it develops a broad pyramidal shaped crown and to ensure this continues, it is important not to remove the central leader or this will cause it to spread out. The dark green glossy leaves measuring 10-18cm long, emerge in spring against the dark grey slightly fissured bark. While the tree produces relatively inconspicuous small green to yellow flowers in April and May, it is the colour of the foliage in autumn that makes this tree so highly prized. From September onwards this beautiful display gets underway, with leaves changing from orange to red to magenta Burgundy. Sometimes all three colours can be seen on the tree at the same time, a wonderful sight. The tree produces round capsule shaped spiky ‘fruits’ on long stems measuring 3-5cm long in the autumn and they can hold on well into the winter.

The Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ will tolerate most fertile, moist soil types, including slightly alkaline. It prefers to be planted in full sun but will respond reasonably well in partial shade during the day, do remember this is a light loving tree. To prevent the canopy from being damaged in strong gusts of wind more sheltered locations are preferable. An added advantage is this tree tolerates hard landscaping and paving as long as suitable tree planting pits are allowed for. Winter hardy it has become a very popular ornamental tree with garden designers and landscape architects looking for a splash of colour in the autumn. Its popular qualities were recognised in 1987 and 2002 when it won the Award of Garden Merit.

As an individual specimen or grouped together with others while taking a central balanced position, the autumn display cannot be missed. The Sweet Gum is suitable for planting in large gardens, parks, squares and along avenues. It is available as High and low pleached trees, screens, high and low espalier trees, specimen clear stem trees, feathered trees and multi stem trees. Available throughout the winter months with wire rootballs. Potted stock while stocks last and Cocoa rootball by prior arrangement.