A few years ago I planted 6 birch trees thinking they'd be a nice complement to the Liquidambar that's been here far longer than we have. I had no idea that this colorful show would happen every fall! The green palm tree in the distance and blue skies add a California twist to a typical fall color palette.
I'm not sure why the Liquidambar is so red, most of the others in the neighborhood are more of an orangey-yellow color. Actually, I just looked that up and it turns out there are different cultivars of Liquidambar that turn different colors. I'm guessing from the descriptions that ours is the Burgundy cultivar. Good to know if you're looking for a colorful tree. I never would have guessed I'd be offering horticultural information and advice in a post about fall colors.....