AusBonsai

Hey just want to pick some brains, i recently picked up a cheap liquidambar at a nursery, leaves are very similar to maples and they have a wonderful autum color. Does anyone have experience with this species, if so are there any pointers you wish to share.

Hi Woz, I've had them over the years, they are a typical deciduous tree, very nice when more mature and hence more leaves to change colour in autumn. Not sure how you'll go in Brisbane as there will be not much of a dormant period for them. However, treat them no better or worse than any other decidous tree. I find they are relatively tough, but, in saying that, i have had some fatalaties with them... Styling can be a variety, however, formal or informal upright to me is best. Group plantings can also be very effective too.

good luck.

Yes I have a few and they are Pretty Robust. Easy to grow from seed or cutting

Treat them like any other deciduous tree and you cannot go wrong

Repot and prune in Late winter, Defoliate thru summer as needed.

the leaves are large and can be hard to reduce but I seem to do all right by regularly taking off the large ones when i need to.

They can give great Autumn Colour but that depends a lot on the individual tree as they ca be vary variable from Seed

LA's are VERY sensitive to chemicals. If you are spraying your trees with insectcides [like Confidor] do not spray LAs and be sure your liquidambars are not in a position to get any windborne spray. They are also very robust and fast developers. I have had a sucker grow to the thickness of more than my thumb in just over a year in a small bonsai pot.

I have had one small one from Ray and two cheap root bound ones from a local nursery. One of the cheap ones went straight into ground after A root hack But has had very limited growth . The other went OK but a little slow in a pot. The one from Ray that was always healthy has had plenty of health even though it was a weeper as in it let me know when it was time to water.
It makes me wonder if they take a long time to get over this type of stress as it has been about 3 years?
I think they can take a little more sun than a maple. A true part shade bonsai in the Aussie heat.

[Gday Guys I have been mucking about with Liqidambars for a while never had any probs with chemicals.
Leaf size can be reduced but they are better suited to a bigger tree. Air layering is OK. Ken I have never grown them from seed. I do have a question how do you strike your cuttings?. It is the one tree I cannot seem to get to strike.
Here's a couple of pics they are small though.

I agree with Pup. I have never had any problem chemical wise with Liqidamber but you should always read the labels to see if any plants are sensitive to the product you intend to use.

Defoliate up till late December but not afterwards as I found they do not leaf out freely and fully after christmas. That was my experience when I lived in Sydney and I have not had a Liquidamber bonsai for many years. Also Brisbane will be different microclimate wise.

Partial shade would be good for the health of the tree but you will get larger leaves of course.

Grant

Hi Pup

I have never had one propagate from Cutting either. I have tried several times as one tree in my forest Carked it and I want another to replace it. I was trying to do so via cuttings but still no luck

I rarely use Chemicals so have never had a problem with them

I have just last month defoliated mine to remove all the burnt leaves from our hot summer just passed and fully expect them to colour up as usual even thoug they are new leaves. If they do not I will let Y'all know

Ken