Tuesday 7 October 2008

Liquidambar Styracfolia

The picture's a bit crappy - the wind's blowing quite hard (which is why I wanted to get a pic, before the leaves all blew off!). My garden was already planted and mature, when I bought the house - this is the one thing of any significance that I've planted. It's got this lovely pale green foliage, in summer, hence "styra," I suppose, with those maple-like, palmate leaves.
Judging by the look of it, it's related to the maples, but I love the fact that, as it gets older, the bark starts to develop a texture like cork, which you can make out on some of the twigs in the background of this photo.

4 comments:

susan said...

Pretty. Has autumn started there?

I am jealous you have a garden!

Radagast said...

Yes: it's well on it's way, now. We don't get the right climatic conditions round here for really colourful autumn foliage, which is another reason I like the liquidambar - it turns red whatever the weather's doing. It's not a massive plot, to be fair, but I've got the village green, out front, which means I've got more space than most, even if it's not mine to garden.

Matt

soulful sepulcher said...

That's a beautiful photo Matt. I don't have many trees with colorful foliage right now in my yard. They pretty much are gold then fall off, or remain evergreen. The leaves on my pink floral shrub are turning yellow and falling off. I guess it's the farewell to Spring!

Radagast said...

I've got a variegated sycamore, which is just turning, as well, but on the whole autumn colour is a bit lacking in my garden (not my fault: I didn't plant it!). I like the liquidambar, though: the bark, the leaf shape and summer/autumn colour. And its habit is columnular, too, which is quite important, given where it's planted.

Matt