Liquidambar styraciflua

Common Names

Sweetgum, American Sweetgum, Redgum, Star-Leaved Gum, Alligator Wood, Satin Walnut, Bilsted, American Storax, Gum Tree, Copalm Balsam

Summary

Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua, is a large deciduous hardwood native to North America, with a tall, pyramidal to oval crown that becomes rounded with age, it features star-shaped leaves with 5–7 lobes and glossy green foliage that turns brilliant yellow, orange, red, and purple in autumn, and it bears distinctive spiny, globose seed capsules (gum balls) that persist into winter, plus a fragrant resin (storax) produced from the bark and valued for medicinal and industrial uses, wood is used for furniture, veneer, and cabinetmaking, in cultivation, sweetgum prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soils, tolerating clay, loam, or sand with a pH from acidic to neutral, iron chlorosis may occur in alkaline soils, its shallow, spreading root system can lift sidewalks if planted too close to pavements, so planting should be away from hard surfaces, it is generally pest- and disease-resistant but may suffer from bagworms, caterpillars, scales, and leaf spots, propagation is by seed or cuttings, and cultivars exist for form and color, including fruitless varieties such as Rotundiloba, widely used as a shade tree for large properties, streets, parks, and reclamation plantings

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

60-75 feet

Spread

35-50 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun; tolerates partial Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Deep, well-drained, moist loam or clay-loam soil with neutral to slightly acidic pH

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

5.5-7.0

Bloom Color

Greenish to yellow-green

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green in summer, autumn foliage includes yellow, orange, red, purple, and maroon, often with multiple colors on a single tree.

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow, orange, red, and purple.

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast growth; about 0.6–0.6 meters per year (2–2 feet per year)

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Grafting, Tissue culture, Root sprouts

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, Attracts birds, Attracts pollinators