Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua

Liquidambar styraciflua, or Sweetgum, is a large, valuable, forest tree frequently found in wet river bottoms, in swamps that frequently flood, and on drier uplands (except the high mountains) throughout North Carolina. It is often the bane of some homeowner’s existence because of its troublesome fruit. In Michael Dirr's entry for Sweetgum in his widely recognized Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs, it states “This lovely tree would be on every gardener’s wish list were it not for the woody, spiny, capsular, 1" to 1 ½" diameter fruit, which abscise through fall and winter.”  Its common name, Sweetgum, refers to the aromatic gum that oozes from wounds to the tree. An alternate name, Redgum, may come from the reddish-brown heartwood found in logs greater than 16 inches in diameter.

Sweetgum is a deciduous tree that may grow 80 to 120 feet tall with a diameter of 4 feet or more. On most sites, the tree averages 60 to 80 feet high and 2 to 3 feet in diameter. The tree has alternate, palmately lobed leaves with toothed margins that mature into a star shape. The bark is gray-brown with irregular furrows and rough, rounded ridges. Small, bright yellow-green (tinged with red) flowers mature on stalks in spring. The tree produces a spherical, spiny fruiting head, known as a gumball, which is composed of numerous tiny capsules, each bearing one or two-winged seeds. The tree has a shallow root system and should be planted in spring because roots take 3 to 4 months to recover from the shock of transplanting.

Sweetgum usually grows in a very straight form which makes it a good species for lumber, furniture, musical instrument components and veneer. The beautifully glossy, star-shaped leaves turn bright red, purple, yellow, or orange in the fall (USDA hardiness zones 6 and 7) and early winter (USDA hardiness zones 8 and 9). On some trees, particularly in the northern part of its range, branches are covered with characteristic corky projections. The trunk is normally straight and does not divide into double or multiple leaders and side branches are small in diameter on young trees, creating its pyramidal form. Other attributes of the Sweetgum include the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil and provide large areas of shade. This tree requires full sun to partial shade. It tolerates clay, sand, loam, acidic, and well-drained soils. It has moderate drought tolerance.

Learn more about 'Gumball' sweetgum shrub Cultivar.

Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems:  Webworms, caterpillars, borers, and scale may cause problems in some areas. Leaf spots, wood rot, and bleeding necrosis may occur. Iron chlorosis may occur in alkaline soils. The fruit is a litter problem in lawn areas. Does not tolerate shade. Avoid alkaline soils. Trees are not reliably winter hardy in the northern areas of USDA Zone 5.

VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.