Palo Alto Sweetgum Tree
Liquidambar styraciflua 'Palo Alto'
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Palo Alto Sweetgum Tree is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
Click Here to learn more

Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Palo Alto Sweetgum Tree highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
-
Brand
-
Botanical Name
-
Growing Zones
-
Mature Height
-
Mature Spread
-
Sun ExposureFull Sun
-
Moisture
-
Soil
-
Growth RateMedium
-
Flower Color
-
Fall Color
-
Pollinator Friendly
-
Pollinator Required
-
Pruning Time
-
Bloom PeriodLate Spring

Growing Zones 6-9
If you want magnificent fall color and a slender growth habit, the Palo Alto Liquidambar is a wonderful selection! Palo Alto Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua 'Palo Alto') is a rugged, tall, and narrow tree that is perfect for smaller lot sizes.
Textured bark brings interest year-round and the persistent spikey seedballs add fall and winter interest. But it's the spectacular fall color that sets the Palo Alto into a class of its own. Every star-shaped leaf is painted with a unique, but deeply intense mix of deep color, from dark glossy reds, to bright orange and brilliant yellows.
Once the temperatures start to drop, the autumn foliage color display starts and continues well into the fall. This variety was specifically selected for its ability to produce brilliant color in milder climates in USDA growing zones 6 to 9. You'll notice people slow down as they drive past, so they can get a second and third look!
Planting and Application:
You'll see these native cultivars in city parks where plants are expected to perform beautifully without much care! This popular selection is an urban-friendly shade tree that brings you relief from the hot afternoon sun. Shade entertainment areas and cast cooling relief over your garden beds and borders with these showy trees!
Palo Alto Sweetgum looks fantastic on a raised berm, in naturalized-looking groupings, but will also work well along a creek or pond because Sweetgum can handle moister soil once established. Create groupings and raise these smaller trees into naturalized clusters on berms to show them off best.
- Star-Shaped Foliage & Spring Flower Clusters
- Slender Form
- Beautiful Fall Colors!
- Wildlife-Friendly Persistent Seedballs
- Perfect Accent Tree, Shade & Specimens
#ProPlantTips for Care:
It's also worth noting that the Palo Alto Liquidambar is almost pest and disease-free and easy to grow and care for. Best in full sun, Sweetgum grows ideally in well-drained, moist, and slightly acidic. However, it is adaptable to average soils that drain well and can tolerate wetter soils and periodic drought for a short time, including salt, alkaline, and clay sites. Establish your tree with careful watering. Thereafter, water regularly to protect your investment.
Apply a 3-4 inch deep layer of pine bark or pine straw mulch to young trees, and spread it three feet outside the canopy. Spread the mulch out further for mature trees to keep the spiked seedpods from getting into the lawn. You will find that your Sweetgum has such a great form you will need to do little or no pruning.
- Tough & Pretty Full Sun Deciduous Tree
- Tolerates Periodically Wet & Dry Well-Drained Soils
- Wide Range of Well-Drained Soil Conditions
- Pruning Best Done In Spring
- Pest Resistant, Salt & Clay Conditions
- Easy Care & Pest & Disease Resistant
Order your Palo Alto Sweetgum Tree today from Nature Hills and order quickly! People are hunting for this gorgeously modern shade tree!
Beautiful Native Variety
Liquidambars are a widely distributed long-lived native tree. Commonly known as Sweetgums, they have been an important source of flavorings, perfumes and folk medicines; as well as a wood source for lumber and veneers.
Palo Alto Liquidambar was the first of the 3 Liquidambar selections released by the Saratoga Horticultural Institute in 1952. Over the years Palo Alto has proved to be the favorite of these wonderful fall coloring trees.
These specially selected trees were improvements over the typically planted Sweetgum seedlings. Palo Alto Liquidambar was the hardiest of all the varietals, growing well in Zones 5 through 10.