Page 1 of 1

[SOLVED] Species ID.

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 3:06 pm
by Mitchell
Hi all! Just wondering if you could help on an ID.

The leaf and branch are from a tree in my front yard. I need to remove some limbs to let light into my Bonsai. The tree has reasonable form and the branches that need removing have some nice movement to them. If the tree was appropriate for Bonsai, then I would air-layer the branches off first. If it is not, i'll just cut them.

Thanks for your assistance on the ID, I would also like to know if you thought it would make good bonsai and was worth layering off. The branches are 35mm thick.
The shots are of a smaller branch, I have seen similar trees around my area yet they do not have the knobby bark to them, on the smaller branches. The thicker branches do not have the weird bark.

I do actually know the name of this tree, I just can't for the life of me remember. :roll: :)

Identification solved

By Jamie

liquid amber- american sweet gum

Re: Species ID.

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 3:12 pm
by Jamie
looks like liquid amber to me mate aka american sweet gum.

Re: Species ID.

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 3:15 pm
by Mitchell
Jamie wrote:looks like liquid amber to me mate aka american sweet gum.

Thanks Jamie

So it may be worth layering off? Google suggestion they can make reasonable Bonsai.

Re: Species ID.

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 3:17 pm
by Jamie
yeah they can make good trees, more so on the larger scale as the leaves dont reduce to well but other than that treat em like a maple ;)

simple as that mate :D


jamie :D

Re: Species ID.

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 3:43 pm
by Greth
Yes liquidamber is quite useable, we had to remove one near the house because of root damage (house before the house before the house before the house before last)

Re: Species ID.

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 6:21 pm
by MasonC
i have a liquid amber. they are great! but yeah, they can break straight into water pipes.....

Re: Species ID.

Posted: March 14th, 2010, 7:09 pm
by kcpoole
Liquidambar syrafluacia aka American Sweetgum
they make real nice Bonsai
The leaves do not reduce that much, but I just contiually remove the large ones as they grow

this one is actually 2 trees that have germinated in the one pot and I have kept going now. I am now trying to develop the branches, but seem to get quite a bit of die back every winter :-(