Slender Silhouette Liquidambar Trees

• Variety: Slender Silhouette, the sweet gum shaped like a pencil
• Common name: Sweet gum
• Latin name: Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette'
• Type: Deciduous tree
• Mature height: More than 12m (40ft)
• Spread: 2.5-4m
• Growth rate: Full height in 10 to 20 years
• Foliage: Dense, maple-like leaves
• Autumn colour: Orange to brilliant purplish red
• Fruit: Round, prickly, woody seed capsules
• Soil: Lime-free, moist but well-drained. Not for chalk
• Position: Full sun or partial shade. Sun gives the best autumn colour
• Hardiness: H6, hardy throughout the UK
• RHS AGM: Yes, awarded 2012
• Good for: Narrow spaces, town and courtyard gardens, autumn colour
• Container suitable: For a few years in a large pot, then plant it out
• Similar varieties: Worplesdon (broad pyramid, about 20m)
• Sold as: Pot-grown tree, 200-275cm tall, in a 12 litre pot
• Plant: Any month. Autumn to early spring planting needs the least watering
• Delivered: Year-round, whenever it is in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Slender Silhouette is a sweet gum more than 12m (40ft) tall and only 2.5 to 4m wide: full-sized autumn colour on the footprint of a garden shed.

Slender Silhouette Liquidambar: Tall Autumn Colour in a Narrow Space

Slender Silhouette is a columnar sweet gum, Liquidambar styraciflua, that grows more than 12m tall while staying just 2.5 to 4m wide. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, given in 2012. The leaves are dense and maple-like, and in autumn they colour through orange to a brilliant purplish red. The flowers are insignificant, and the fruits that follow are round, prickly, woody capsules that hang on the bare branches into winter.

Most trees sold for small gardens are small trees. This one is a tall tree that takes up little ground, which is a different and sometimes more useful thing: it gives height beside a drive, at the corner of a terrace or between two houses, without a crown that spreads over the boundary. The RHS lists it for city and courtyard gardens. Be clear about the height before you buy. It reaches its 12m in 10 to 20 years.

Your tree arrives pot-grown in a 12 litre pot at 200 to 275cm tall, so any month will do for planting. Stake it on the day; our guide on how to plant a tree with a stake shows the method.

Lime-Free Soil and Full Sun for the Best Colour

Two things decide how well a sweet gum colours. The first is soil: the RHS says it thrives in lime-free, moist but well-drained ground, and on chalk it is the wrong tree. The second is light. It grows in partial shade, but full sun brings out the best autumn colour, and since colour is the reason to plant it, give it the sunniest place you have. The leaves look like a maple's, though the tree belongs to the witch hazel family; on a sweet gum they sit alternately along the twig, where a maple's grow in pairs.

Planting Companions

For autumn, plant it within sight of the maples, which like the same lime-free ground and colour at the same time. Worplesdon is the same species as a broad pyramid, for a lawn with room to spare. You will find other candidates for a tight plot among our trees for small gardens, and more trees grown for leaf and shape under ornamental interest.

Why Buy Your Trees from Us?

Ashridge Nurseries holds the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, earned on customer reviews. Your sweet gum is pot-grown in peat-free compost and sent out at a good height, 200 to 275cm. Delivered leafless between November and March, it is guaranteed for 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

How wide does Slender Silhouette liquidambar grow?

Slender Silhouette stays 2.5 to 4m wide on a tree more than 12m tall. It holds that narrow shape without pruning.

Is Slender Silhouette a good tree for a small garden?

Slender Silhouette suits a small garden that has room for height: it needs only 2.5 to 4m of width but grows past 12m. If you want a tree that stays low, look elsewhere.

What is the difference between Slender Silhouette and Worplesdon?

Shape is the difference. Slender Silhouette is a narrow column 2.5 to 4m wide, while Worplesdon is a broad pyramid that reaches about 20m. Both hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Will a liquidambar grow on chalk?

A liquidambar is not a tree for chalk. The RHS specifies lime-free, moist but well-drained soil, acid to neutral, on clay, loam or sand.

Why is my liquidambar not colouring well in autumn?

Poor autumn colour on a liquidambar is usually down to shade or lime in the soil. Full sun brings out the best colour, and the tree wants lime-free ground.

Can I grow Slender Silhouette in a pot?

Slender Silhouette grows well in a large pot for a few years, but it belongs in the ground in the long run. Use lime-free compost and keep it moist through summer.