Gum Tree Images. The American sweet gum tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, grows in eastern woodlands from southern Connecticut to northern Illinois to Texas to central Florida. Most of the small, black seeds contained within the gumballs do not germinate, but are eaten by squirrels and birds. The distinctive seed pods are one way to easily identify a sweet gum tree. The foliage ranges from yellow, golden, deep orange, fiery red to deep purple; sweet gum is one of the last species to drop its leaves in the fall. The tree prefers moist, slightly acidic soil, but is adaptable to many soil types, including clay soil, dry or wet soil and soil that is neutral to somewhat alkaline. Wetland Status. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! A sweet gum is a deciduous tree in the witch hazel family that ranges in height from 60 to 100 feet and has a narrow oval canopy. Their fruit is effective against rheumatic pain. Patricia Hamilton Reed has written professionally since 1987. Mature leaves are 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm.) Liquidambar styraciflua, commonly called sweet gum, is a low-maintenance deciduous shade tree that is native from Connecticut to Florida and Missouri further south to Texas, Mexico and Central America. The leaf will have a saw-tooth or serrated edge. Best offers for your garden - http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/1Wy5buU ----- Sweet Gum Tree Facts. It is also used for paper and pulp products. Sweetgum Tree, Facts on Sweetgum Trees Here is some detailed information on the sweetgum tree. It can be an excellent shade tree in the right location, away from foot traffic where the spiky "gumball" fruits will not be an annoyance. Fact Sheet ST-358 November 1993 Liquidambar styraciflua Figure 1. The distinctive sticky ball seedpods start off green, turning hard and brown before dropping off the tree through fall and winter. Maple Tree Identification - … The bark is furrowed, rough and scaly, hence the nickname alligator wood. It is used for its lumber, and is one of the most common sources of hardwood and plywood, but also produces spectacular colors as it drops its leaves in the fall. It is considered a hardwood species with wood weighing 52 pounds per cubic foot and is used in furniture and plywood. Avoid planting this tree too deeply; the root flare - the point where the roots end and the trunk begins - should be slightly higher than soil level to prevent root rot. The American sweet gum tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, grows in eastern woodlands from southern Connecticut to northern Illinois to Texas to central Florida. Other common names include gum trees, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligator-wood, hazel pine, and American storax. Reed was editor of the "Grand Ledge Independent" weekly newspaper and a Capitol Hill reporter for the national newsletter "Corporate & Foundation Grants Alert." It can be found in the eastern parts of North America and tropical parts of Mexico and Central America. In spring - March to May depending on location - the sweet gum produces small, pale green flowers that develop into spherical, spiky seed pods that can create a problem if you like to enjoy your yard in bare feet in the summer. The American sweet gum tree was so named because of the amber-colored, resinous sweet sap that was scraped from the inside of the bark to produce a chewing gum-like substance. The leaves flutter easily in the slightest of breezes and form a rounded canopy. Interpreting Wetland Status. Beautiful! © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. The resin that the tree produces is actually not sweet, but it is used in chewing gum. The foliage is palmate, like a maple leaf, but more deeply lobed and star shaped. A sweet gum is a deciduous tree in the witch hazel family that ranges in height from 60 to 100 feet and has a narrow oval canopy. The trunk of a mature gum tree may be five feet in diameter. Sweet Gum Tree Names. The sweetgum is spectacular in autumn, with leaves turning orange and flame-red before falling. Sweet gums are large trees that bear alternate, sharply (three- to seven-lobed) palmate leaves. Gum Tree Facts. ► The tree ranges between 80 to 150 feet in height. The deeply cut grey or … Because a sweet gum tree may grow 80 feet tall and hose-end sprayers typically have a maximum good-pressure range of up to 30 feet, spraying a mature sweet gum adequately is difficult for a homeowner. Sweet-gum is known for its unique star-shaped leaves with outstanding yellow, red, and purple fall color. These trees need plenty of room to grow, both above and below ground. The leaves, which are five-lobed and shaped like stars, provide excellent fall foliage color. Liquidambar styracifluaL., sweetgum, is native to southeastern, east-central, and south-central United States, southern Mexico, and central America. The tree often self-seeds once mature. American sweetgum Facts American sweetgum is deciduous tree that belongs to the witch hazel family. The fine hardwood is used to make flooring, furniture and veneers, cabinetry and paneling. The Sweetgum tree is native to the southeastern United States and a member of a genus made up of only six species. So, if you are wondering if you have a Sweet Gum tree in front of you, read on…. Its called Sweet Gum to separate it from a different species altogether, the Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica, which is extremely sour and bitter. If the name isn't enough to intrigue you, the sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) is an interesting tree with beautiful leaves. The downside to growing a sweetgum tree is the seed pods. The others are found only in Asia. The only edible part of the tree is the dried sap which makes a fragrant, bitter chewing gum. The resin the tree produces has been used in folk medicine as well as in chewing gum. Deep South Homestead 13,768 views. The bark has astringent properties and addresses dysentery and diarrhea. Sweet Gum. 1. But, there's a lot more to the sweetgum tree than meets the eye! ► It thrives well in both acidic soil and alkaline soil, and ponds and streams are its predominant areas. However, this long-lived tree - the sweet gum can live more than 150 years -doesn't flower or produce seed for the first 15 to 20 years of its growth. With a broader focus on organic gardening, health, rural lifestyle, home and family articles, she specializes in topics involving antique and modern quilting, sewing and needlework techniques. Sweet Gum trees have a star-shaped leaf with five points. ► In scientific nomenclature, the sweet gum tree is called Liquidambar styraciflua. If an appropriate space is available, check out the cold-hardy cultivar, 'Moraine', which is recommended for northern Illinois. It is glossy green in the spring and summer, turning to vivid red, yellow and even purple in the fall. Sweet gum trees may reach heights from 80 to 150 feet, and they may spread to 45 feet wide. Sweet gum wood is the second most utilized commercial wood in the United States, after oak. It grows in an oval, somewhat pyramidal shape. Leaves commonly measure 7 inches across. In comparison the mildly bitter Sweet Gum is definitely sweeter. Sweetgum (Liquidambar) is a genus of four species of flowering plants in the family Altingiaceae, though formerly often treated in the Hamamelidaceae. The sweet gum tree attracts wildlife including blue jays, cardinals, mourning doves, squirrels, chipmunks and luna moths. The sweetgum is a fast-growing tree that develops a significant taproot that tolerate high moisture levels in soil. Living Off the Land ~~ Black Gum Tree - Duration: 12:32. Despite its name the gum is not sweet. It can also be propagated by stem cuttings or grafting. American sweetgum can reach 80 feet in height at maturity, with a spread of about 60 feet. Can a Jacaranda Tree Withstand a Lot of Heat? In Missouri, it typically occurs in moist low woods and along streams only in the far southeastern corner of the state (Steyermark). A resin called storax is extracted from the trunk of the sweet gum and is used in incense and perfume. sweet gum. Native Americans and pioneers also used the sap for a number of medicinal purposes. Its glossy, dark green, star shaped leaves take on an unpredictable array of colors in the fall, ranging from clear yellow to orange, red or burgundy. The fruits are spiny dark brown balls known as an aggregate of capsules. The trunk of a … Another common tree that is called a "gum" is sweetgum and is actually an entirely different tree species classification called Liquidambar. Sterile - pod-free - cultivars are "Rotundiloba" and "Happydaze." Black Tupelo or Nyssa sylvatica is the most common true gum in North America and grows from Canada to Texas. Sweet gum leaves are glossy and dark green in the summer. Sweet gum wood is the second most utilized commercial wood in the United States, after oak. Sweet gum trees are native to the eastern U.S., but grow well throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 9 in full sun. Liquidambar, commonly called sweetgum (star gum in the UK), gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. The leaves are deciduous (they fall off the tree in autumn) and turn bright yellow before falling. Sweet gum trees may reach heights from 80 to 150 feet, and they may spread to 45 feet wide. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Illinois State Museum: Trees: Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), The Assateague Naturalist: Sweetgum Tree (Liquidambar styraciflua). Sweet gum seed pods, sometimes called gumballs, are spiny orbs produced from the clusters of small flowers that appear in spring. The plants produce upright spikes of greenish male flowers and round drooping clusters of female flowers on the same tree. Description of sweet gum tree: The sweet gum has a pyramidal habit when young, eventually becoming rounded and tall -- up to more than 100 feet. Sweet gum trees are available in numerous cultivars, including varieties that never develop the prickly "gumballs" that can be a negative for some homeowners. Slender Silhouette is a beanpole of a plant, growing 50 feet tall or higher, with a spread of 5 feet at the base. Mature Sweet Gum trees have what is known as an Ovular shape. If you're thinking of growing trees in your yard, or you're simply interested about what makes certain trees unique, then consider the sweet gum tree. Next, water the sweet gum tree every day to every three days depending on climate and precipitation in the tree's first season; afterwards water needs are moderate. Young Sweetgum. The leaves are star-shaped, with five or seven pointed lobes and finely serrated edges. Situate where a sweet gum's mature height cannot interfere with overhead wires or other obstructions and at least 8 to 10 feet away from sidewalks and curbs, as the sweet gum tree root structure is an aggressive one that can cause pavement to heave. On some trees, the branches are \"winged,\" as on winged euonymus (burning bush), displaying corky flanges. The American sweetgum is a bottomland species commonly growing 75 feet in height with a more or less pyramidal form. The sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) is one of the most common trees found in the forests of Hilton Head Island. American sweet gum is also known as redgum, gumtree, star-leaved gum and alligator wood. Little pruning or fertilization is required. American sweetgum grows on moist, well-drained soil in areas that provide plenty of sun. Look at the general shape of the tree. The sweet gum grows in a long list of states, thinning to a more patchy distribution as it spreads southward into Mexico and Central America. Sweetgum is one of the … Museum.state.il.us: Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), The Best Fast-Growing Trees to Camouflage the House Behind Us, Easy-to-Care-for Ornamental Trees for Landscape. Sweet gum leaves are glossy and dark green in the summer. The fine hardwood is used to make flooring, furniture and veneers, cabinetry and paneling. American sweetgums (Liquidambar styraciflua) are part of the Witch Hazel family. You will also find a lot of wonderful information on gum trees, including information about the gum tree species, planting information, and much more. The brilliant fall colors and large, spreading size make sweet gum a sought-after species of shade tree for landscaping. Fern Fischer's print and online work has appeared in publications such as Midwest Gardening, Dolls, Workbasket, Quilts for Today and Cooking Fresh. Sweet gum trees may reach heights from 80 to 150 feet, and they may spread to 45 feet wide. Special Concern. Slender Sil… Plant sweet gums in the spring rather than the fall for the best chance of survival. 2. The Liquidambar styraciflua growth rate is moderate to rapid, putting on height at a rate of 1 to 4 feet a year for the first five to 10 years and 12 to 15 inches per year thereafter. Sweet gum tree leaves have five to seven pointed lobes, and their shape will remind you of a star. They were formerly often treated in Hamamelidaceae.They are decorative deciduous trees that are used in the wood industry and for ornamental purposes. Sweet gum trees have various medicinal uses. The American sweet gum tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, grows in eastern woodlands from southern Connecticut to northern Illinois to Texas to central Florida. In some cases, at the peak of the fall foliage season, certain leaves may be red, others purple, others yellow, and still others orange (all on the same plant). Their fall color lasts much longer than most other trees. This name was derived from the tree’s innate property of secreting a resin-like substance. It is a large deciduous hardwood tree, which can grow to over 100 feet in height and 3 to 5 feet in diameter, with a symmetrical, cone-shaped crown. The American Sweetgum (or "Sweet Gum") tree is popular all over the world as a shade tree, but this variegated version doubles as a dazzling ornamental tree, too. Variegated Sweetgum's deep green leaves are so spattered and streaked with creamy yellow pigment, you might think it got too close to a banana smoothie when the lid flew off the blender! Before deciding to plant a sweet gum tree in your yard, remember that many people consider the multitude of gumballs to be a nuisance to keep cleaned up. This is valuable and useful information that can help you to learn more about the gum tree. She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Michigan State University, is an avid gardener and volunteers at her local botanical garden. 12:32. It maintains a remarkable degree of uniformity as it grows upward with the top of the column about the same width as the base. wide. Along the rivers of the south-eastern United States, Sweet gums exceed 125 ft. in height and 4 ft. in diameter. Gum is used for basketry, barrels and items such as wooden bowls and boxes. The bark on the trunk is deeply furrowed. Sweetgum1 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2 INTRODUCTION Sweetgum grows in a … There are some sweet gum tree problems to be aware of, which you can avoid. The gumballs cling to the tree throughout the winter and drop to the ground in the spring. Sweet gum, a tree of the Witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae), native of the eastern United States, also Mexico and Central America. Milling a HUGE Sweet Gum log! Sweet gum seed pods, sometimes called gumballs, are spiny orbs produced from the clusters of small flowers that appear in spring. The fruit and leaves of sweetgum look nothing like these true gums. The bark is grayish brown and deeply furrowed. Dr. Francois Couplan in his book The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America states on page 60 the gum it has antiseptic qualities. The leaves of the black gum tree are an elongated oval shape that offer a brilliant fall show. The star-shaped, glossy green leaves have a pleasant smell if crushed. Gum trees can grow in moderately moist soil conditions, but they prefer wet bottomland areas along creeks and river banks. 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