Sweetgum Tree Liquidambar styraciflua
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- lih-kwid-AM-bar sty-rak-ee-FLOO-uh
- Description
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American sweetgum is a woody, deciduous 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 native to the eastern United States and Mexico and is a member of the sweetgum family (Altingiaceae). Its common name 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.
American sweetgum grows in full sun to partial shade in neutral to acidic soil that is moist yet well-drained. It is resistant to fire, heat, drought, soil compaction, deer and rabbits. It may grow 60 to 100 feet tall, 40-50 foot spread and a trunk diameter of 4 feet or more. The tree has a shallow root system and should be planted in spring because roots take three to four months to recover from the shock of transplanting. Propagate sweetgum by seed.
It is often the bane of some homeowners’ existence because of its messy, troublesome fruit. Small, bright yellow-green (tinged with red) flowers mature on stalks in spring. The female flowers give way to spherical, spiny fruiting heads, known as gumballs, which are composed of numerous tiny capsules, each bearing one or two-winged seeds. The fruit litters the ground between December and April. On the bright side, the glossy, star-shaped leaves turn bright red, purple, yellow or orange in the fall and remain on the tree for a long time. On some trees, particularly in the northern part of its range, branches are covered with laminar corky projections.
American sweetgum makes an excellent shade tree. It is also a good addition to a woodland or recreational play area and children’s, edible, native, nighttime or pollinator gardens. It is wildlife-friendly.
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 and patio areas.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden Plant Walls and Hedges
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Aurea'
Same as Variegata. - 'Aurora'
- 'Burgundy'
- 'Corky'
- 'Festival'
- 'Oconee'
Dwarf with a shrubby habit to 15 feet high. - 'Palo Alto'
- 'Variegata'
Variegated foliage, good cold hardiness. - 'White Star'
Dwarf, 15 feet high, purple-red fall leaf color.
No gumballs and vibrant fall color 'Slender Silhouette'
- 'Aurea'
- 'Aurea', 'Aurora', 'Burgundy', 'Corky', 'Festival', 'Gumball', 'Oconee', 'Palo Alto', 'Rotundiloba', 'Slender Silhouette', 'Variegata', 'White Star'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aurea'
Same as Variegata. - 'Aurora'
- 'Burgundy'
- 'Corky'
- 'Festival'
- 'Oconee'
Dwarf with a shrubby habit to 15 feet high. - 'Palo Alto'
- 'Variegata'
Variegated foliage, good cold hardiness. - 'White Star'
Dwarf, 15 feet high, purple-red fall leaf color.
No gumballs and vibrant fall color 'Slender Silhouette'
- 'Aurea'
- 'Aurea', 'Aurora', 'Burgundy', 'Corky', 'Festival', 'Gumball', 'Oconee', 'Palo Alto', 'Rotundiloba', 'Slender Silhouette', 'Variegata', 'White Star'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Liquidambar
- Species:
- styraciflua
- Family:
- Altingiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Resinous gum are used for creating chewing gum, incense, perfumes, folk medicines (for things like dysentery and diarrhea) and flavorings. In pioneer days, the gum was obtained from the trunks by peeling the bark and scraping the resin-like solid beneath. Currently, this tree is second in production to oaks among the hardwoods. The wood is heavy, moderately hard, and close grained and used for furniture, cabinetwork, veneer, plywood, pulpwood, barrels, and boxes. It is not durable upon exposure.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern United States, Mexico
- Distribution:
- Pennsylvania southwest to Texas, east to Florida, nnorth up to New England, California.
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant supports Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. This plant also supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed. Songbirds, like the American goldfinch eat the seeds during the winter and mall birds probe inside fruits in winter for invertebrates. Beavers, mice and rabbits eat the bark.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Resistant to fire in landscape, moderately resistant to damage from deer and rabbits..
- Dimensions:
- Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Pyramidal
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- Female flowers give way to a globose head (the infamous gum ball) which are hard, beak shaped, bristly fruiting capsules 1 to 3 inches in diameter appearing in August-September. Gum balls mature to dark brown and usually remain on the tree through the winter, but can create clean-up problems during the general period of December through April as the clusters fall to the ground. The capsules contain two tiny seeds (syncarp). The fruits persist through the winter and attract birds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Insignificant
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- The Sweetgum has non-showy, monoecious, yellow-green flowers that appear in spherical clusters in April-May. Female flowers give way to the infamous gum balls.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Purple/Lavender
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Deltoid
- Palmasect
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The Sweetgum tree has alternate, simple, serrate, palmate venation, glossy, deciduous, long-stalked, deep green leaves (4-8” across) with toothed margins. Each leaf has 5-7 deeply separated, pointed, star-shaped lobes. Leaves are fragrant when bruised. Fall color at its best is a brilliant mixture of yellows, oranges, purples and reds.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Ridges
- Bark Plate Shape:
- Irregular
- Bark Description:
- Corky scales that darken the tree. As the tree matures, it forms irregular, deeply furrowed bark. After the second year, twigs may develop two to four corky wing-like projections. The bark is also a food source for small mammals like beavers, rabbits, and mice.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Native Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Compaction
- Deer
- Drought
- Fire
- Heat
- Rabbits
- Problems:
- Messy
