Shrivelled Leaves On A Liquidambar Tree

[Bumblebee1612]

I wonder if anyone is able to point me in the right direction? I have tried Google, but have not yet found the answer.
I have a Liquidambar tree in my garden which was planted roughly 12 years ago. Unfortunately, the leaves have shrivelled during the last couple of weeks. The top of the tree is in full sun, but the base of the tree is in partial shade.
I had Assumed this was owing to to the recent high temperatures, and gave the base and leaves a good watering. However, the leaves have continued to shrivel.
The tree has always been healthy up until now and we have always been rewarded with beautiful autumnal colours.
Any advice will be gratefully received. Thank you

[woofgang]

the trouble is that if the leaves have dried out through lack of water, the actual leaves won’t recover although you can save the tree by watering....wait hope and water!

[Chipchopper]

I think you may be right in suspecting that the recent high temperatures are responsible for the shriveling leaves.
heavy downpours seem to run off the ground far too quickly, before it can do much good.
All I can suggest and agree with, is to keep the area below the canopy evenly moist to help keep it ticking over.

[Bumblebee1612]

Thanks for the advice.

[hammerman]

The tree's been planted for 12 years and we've had one of the wettest winters and spring on record. We've only had 2 weeks without significant rainfall and I'm sure we've gone much longer without rain in the past 12 years....

Although there could be many answers, I would've thought that lack of water wasn't one.

[woofgang]

hammerman it depends what the water table is doing, also if the rain is heavy for short periods, it runs off before the ground can absorb it. My garden is very very dry this year despite having so much rain that it has run through my garden (I live on a slope) like a stream several times this year.

[Bumblebee1612]

Our garden is heavy clay soil and is usually moist for most of the year.
I have just found an article on the Telegraph website about climate change which gives the top ten trees to be planted. liquidambar is at the top of the list:

1. American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) A large tree from eastern North America. Likes hot summers; scented foliage; good-size leaf that lasts well into winter.

I have also read on other sites that the Liquidambar trees are affected by Bacterial Leaf Scorch (BLS) of shade trees. I don't know how to find out if this is the reason for the leaf problem. I suppose I will just have to wait and see what happens next year.

[Bumblebee1612]

I have just remembered that we have a soil moisture and ph meter. The scale is marked 1-10 and the meter has registered as an 8 (wet). In the same part of the garden which has not been watered, the reading is 4 (moist).

[hammerman]

We have ours growing on solid chalk as we're at the foot of the south downs...nice loamy soil but very free draining and alkaline. Liquidambers actually prefer silty soils....they like to be grown in old dried up river beds.

[Bumblebee1612]

According to the RHS website, Liquidambar is suitable for loam, clay and sandy soils, which is acid or neutral ph. Regarding moisture, it says, moist - well drained, but moist.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=6247

[Bumblebee1612]

@Hammerman How is your Liquidambar tree doing? Has it started to produce new shoots yet, or is it still too early? I am waiting patiently for mine to do anything. It still has some shrivelled up leaves on it, which I am taking as a good sign!