Liquidambar from Junker's Nursery

Autumn colours of Liquidambar styraciflua Aurora contrasts with the yellow of Gleditsia triacanthos Emerald Cascade behind.

Liquidambar styraciflua and its cultivars

The species itself of Liquidamber styraciflua is generally only available grown from seed. Thus you encounter the usual problem of variability. It might have good autumn colour or it might not! To remove this element of chance, we graft all our Liquidambars, so that we can maintain certain features.

Autumn colour is obviously important, but there are a surprisingly wide range of options to extend the interest further through the summer. Perhaps by foliage variegation, or more subtly by leaf shape and growth habit. Most of the green forms will make big trees, but the variegated derivatives at approx. 4m are suited to all but the tiniest garden.

Hilliers advises it to be unsuitable on chalk, but one of my customers was telling me how well theirs was doing there! So give it a try and see!

The autumn colours have to be some of the best!

	LIQUIDAMBAR acalycina This much less common species of Liquidambar deserves to be better known. The new growth is a rich reddish maroon before maturing to green for the summer. Autumn colours are a vibrant burgundy. Distinguishing it from L.styraciflua, the leaves have only 3 lobes. From £19.60
NEW	LIQUIDAMBAR formosana Monticola The Chinese form of the species, this is along the lines of the above, having larger leaves with fewer lobes than styraciflua. The red spring tints are repeated in the autumn when colours are good, as one would expect. Available from September at £19.60
	LIQUIDAMBAR orientalis A slower growing large shrub or small tree with smaller leaves which have more rounded lobes. Sold out for 2002
	LIQUIDAMBAR styraciflua albomarginata Manon A gorgeous French form with creamy white margins. The purple autumn colour starts in the middle and develops outwards, maintaining the variegated effect. 3-4m From £19.60
	LIQUIDAMBAR styraciflua Andrew Hewson Eventually a large tree of striking habit. Fantastic deep red-purple autumn colour. Fast growing when young so quickly gives a good effect. From £19.60
NEW	LIQUIDAMBAR styraciflua Anja A new selection, chosen for it's excellent autumn colour. Available from September at £19.60
NEW	LIQUIDAMBAR styraciflua Anneke Another new selection, again for it's autumn colour as one would expect from a Liquidambar. Available from September at £19.60