Liquidambar acalycina
American Storax
Liquidambar styraciflua
L. Species
- Botanical name
- Liquidambar styraciflua
- Also known as
- Alligator-Wood, American Storax, American Sweet Gum, American-Storax, Red-Gum, Satin-Walnut, Sweet Gum, Sweet-Gum
- Family
- Altingiaceae
- Genus
- Liquidambar
- Flowering period
- April
- Height
- 15–25 m
- Spread
- 6–10 m
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy (RHS H6)
- Reference
- World Flora Online
How to grow American Storax
Full sun
Moderate; keep young trees watered and do not let them dry out
Deep, moist but well-drained; dislikes shallow chalk
Acid to neutral
Planting
Plant in autumn or spring in a sunny, sheltered position with room to develop. Autumn colour is best in full sun on neutral to slightly acid soil; on chalk the tree becomes chlorotic and the display is poor.
Pruning
Very little required. Remove crossing or damaged branches in late winter and otherwise let the naturally conical shape develop.
Propagation
Seed after cold stratification, though colour in seedlings is variable. Reliable autumn colour is one reason named cultivars are usually preferred.
Pests and diseases
Generally healthy in the UK, with no significant common problems.
Value to wildlife
Little direct value to UK wildlife, being a North American species.
Notes
Grown almost entirely for autumn colour, which runs through yellow, orange, crimson and deep purple, often on the same tree. The maple-like leaves are alternate rather than opposite, which is the quickest way to tell it from a true maple.
Some structured details on this page (such as tolerances, pH and hardiness) come from USDA PLANTS Database (public domain). The written guidance is GardenDecoded's own, researched as described in our editorial policy.
Other names for this plant
These names have all been used for Liquidambar styraciflua but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.
Liquidambar barbata
Liquidambar gummifera
Liquidambar macrophylla
Liquidambar styraciflua f. pendula
Liquidambar styraciflua f. rotundiloba
Liquidambar styraciflua var. macrophylla
Liquidambar styraciflua var. mexicana
Liquidambar tuberculata
Others in Liquidambar
GardenDecoded is an educational gardening reference. Botanical data comes from World Flora Online and GBIF; growing guidance is our own. Always check a plant's toxicity and local invasiveness status before planting, and never eat or apply a plant based on this site alone.