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Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 5-9
- Spacing: 30-40'
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Deer Resistant: Yes
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Variegated Sweetgum
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The American Sweetgum (or "Sweet Gum") tree is popular all over the world as a shade tree, but this variegated version doubles as a dazzling ornamental tree, too. Variegated Sweetgum's deep green leaves are so spattered and streaked with creamy yellow pigment, you might think it got too close to a banana smoothie when the lid flew off the blender! In fall, the leaves will put on a show for you when they take on pink, purple, and yellow tones, and in winter, the interesting spiky fruits (called "gumballs") will hang from the branches like an ornament. Planted as a showpiece in your front yard, this easy-to-grow native tree will sure have the neighbors talking!
Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 5-9
- Spacing: 30-40'
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Deer Resistant: Yes
- Show more ›
The Story
Sometimes a green-leaved plant will all of a sudden send out a branch with variegated leaves. The new leaves may have white, yellow, or pink accents. The variegation may be centered in the leaf, on the margins, or splattered all over like a painter’s dropcloth—as it is in this tree’s foliage. Often the variegation is temporary (not “stable”), and after that one outburst the branch goes back to making plain green leaves. Variegated Sweetgum has been stable since 1880, when it was first described by Dutch horticulturist C.G. Overeynder.
The Details
A tree with an attitude! Be the envy of the neighborhood with this magnificent specimen tree. It has an exciting display of yellow variegation within the star-shaped leaves. The show continues in the fall with the color changing purple to red to orange. The distinct horizontal branching and overall pyramidal form provides a notable look in the winter.
How to Grow
Variegated Sweetgum is a slow to moderate grower that prefers to be planted in areas of full sun and it will tolerate moist to wet soils. The Variegated Sweetgum also has no major pest problems. A yearly application of a medium rate fertilizer will start this tree out on the right foot. For about the first 3 years that this awesome tree is in your garden, apply this once a year application during the fall. The pruning requirements for your Variegated Sweetgum are minimal. One common practice with variegated varieties of plants is to prune off any branches or stems that do not emerge with the variegation. However, the foliage of the Variegated Sweetgum starts out as all green, the variegation does not develop until early summer.
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