Columnar Tree Dreaming: American Sweetgum Slender Silhouette

Despite it being February, it is still dark and cold and the gardener and tree-planter in me is still dreaming about other trees to think about adding to our backyard.  Just yesterday, I featured this Parkland Pillar Birch that is the second columnar Birch tree in the series.  Today, I'm turning back to the list of 'narrow trees' from Savvy Gardening for another tree in my dreaming series.  I've already featured #10 on the list in the Van Den Akker Narrow Weeping Alaskan Cedar - on my [tree dreaming] list at the end of January.

Now comes a post about their #8 on the list:  The Slender Silhouette American Sweetgum.

Here's what it looks like via this photo below from this post courtesy of the University of arkansas system extension:

This is not my photo. Sharing it as a good look at the American Sweetgum Slender Silhouette tree form.  Found it here via the U of Arkansas System Extension Office.  Original source seems to be here on Flickr.  

Looks a lot like some of the other decidious columnar trees that I've posted about, right?

From Savvy Gardening comes this description:

8. Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’: This beautiful variety of sweetgum, grows upwards of 60 feet tall, but its very tight, short branches mean the plant’s spread is a mere 6 to 8 feet, making it a real standout in the landscape. The red fall color is spectacular, and it’s fairly fast growing. Yes, this sweetgum variety also produces spiky seed balls like other sweetgums, but not huge quantities of them. ‘Slender Silhouette’ is also a larval host plant for many different butterflies and moths. It’s a great narrow tree for a small garden! Hardy in zones 5-8.

It is hardy down to our zone - which is nice.  The folks at Hort Magazine list this particular tree as a "Plant we love".  From that post they talk about how this one - due to it's narrow form - doesn't have the same problems that many folks find with American Sweetgums:

We love ‘Slender Silhouette’ American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’) for its very narrow shape. This tall, thin tree is perfect for tight spaces, small gardens or as a striking vertical accent. Some see American sweetgums as a nuisance for the fruit ( a spiky seed-filled ball) that they drop. ‘Slender Silhouette’ produces only a little fruit, and it falls in a small area since the tree is so narrow. Nice fall color. Quick to grow.

It is described as "Fastigiate" or columnar and can grow in full sun or part shade. 

I've found it available online at Conifer Kingdom in a 5 gallon pot for $135 where they include this photo (below) of a young(ish) tree that highlights the color and shape of the leaves that cover this tree and make it a standout:

Photo via Conifer Kingdom.  Source. 

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As I post more of these 'tree dreaming posts' this Winter,  I've decided to do a property inventory of my columnar tree dreams.  These are trees that if I come across, I'd be hard-pressed to not add to our yard:

•  The Amanogawa Japanese Flowering Cherry tree - a columnar variety that's hardy to Zone 5b. 
• This post that references a compilation from Pretty Purple Door that includes the columnar Goldspire Ginko. 
• A columnar Norway Spruce - an evergreen that can (I think) be sourced locally (not online).
• A Slender Hinoki Cypress (technically a shrub) that is home in a Japanese garden.
• A couple of 'white' columnar trees:  Dakota Pinnacle Birch and Swedish Aspen.
• Now this Columnar Eastern White Pine - that I hope would be disease resistant.  
• In 2018, I posted about these Sky Pencil Holly narrow shrubs.  
• We have a small Weeping White Spruce that I planted in 2019 in our backyard.  
• Late January 2020:  Van Den Aker Narrow Alaskan Weeping Cedar (and Green Arrow Weeping Cedar)
• A (non-columnar) Austrian Pine that has these crazy 'candles' or pipe cleaners on the tips.
• This super narrow 'Joe Kozey' Narrow Japanese Umbrella Pine can handle heavy snow loads. 
• Another columnar Birch tree - The Parkland Pillar Birch can be used as a screen or privacy hedge.
• This Slender Silhouette American Sweetgum has a similar feel to many of the deciduous columnar trees that I've covered here.