Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Trees

Liquidambar (Sweetgum) at High Elevation: Roots and Fruit

Big Bear, CA homeowner (8,500 ft elevation) wants to plant liquidambar 30 ft from house for fall color. Concerns: winter survival and foundation roots.

Hardiness

Liquidambar grows at that elevation.

Foundation Safety

30 feet is safe; roots won't threaten foundation.

Fruit Nuisance

Spiky "gumballs" litter ground. Many dislike them. Consider alternatives with good fall color but less mess.

Reference: Western Horticulture Fall Color Trees

Trees: Liquidambar (Sweetgum) Fruit Control: Not Feasible; Spectracide Herbicide & Neighbor's Dying Trees: Identifying the Active Ingredient; Why Topping Liquidambar (Sweetgum) Trees Is a Mistake; Fast-Growing Privacy Trees for Desert Pool: Species and Spacing; Moving Potted Red Maples from New Jersey to Florida: Legal?; Topping Magnolia and River Birch: Why It's Harmful and What to Do Instead; Italian Cypress Topping: Don't Do It; Boathouse Excavation Between Oak Trees; Removing Young Sweetgum Near House: Do It Now Before Roots Damage Foundation; Sissoo Tree Near a Pool: Root Damage Risk

Garden Articles

Propagating Wild Persimmon and Sassafras on Your Land

Shade-Tolerant Privacy Plants Under Mature Pines for Zone 5

Bradford Pear Trees: Root Damage and the Case for Removal

Columnar Tree Selection for Narrow Fence-Line Planting in Zone 9B

Trenching Through Mature Conifer Root Zones for Sewer Installation

Selling Mature Ponderosa Pines in Southern Colorado

Leyland Cypress Planted 3 Feet from House: Move It Now

Plants

Proper Spacing for Crape Myrtle and Ligustrum Hedges

Native Hill Country Trees: Fertilization Guidance

Improving Growth and Flowering of Dogwood in Full Sun

Pruning and Styling Young Norway Spruce Bonsai

Evergreen Trees: Types, Care, and Top Dwarf Selections for Small Gardens

Flowering Trees for the Garden: Magnolias, Fruit Trees, Quince, and Dogwoods