Liquidambar styraciflua L.

Sweet Gum; Red Gum

Tree

Perennial

Vascular

Sweetgum is a large native deciduous tree in the Sweetgum family (Altingiaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Sweetgum is highly adaptable and occurs in a wide range of habitats from bottomland hardwood forests to old fields. It is a large tree to 120 feet in height. The bark is gray in color and furrowed. Young twigs may have corky wings. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, palmately 5-7 lobed, with glandular serrate margins. The leaves are glabrous and fragrant when crushed. Leaves turn red, purple, orange, or yellow (on the same or different trees) before falling. Male flowers are produced in heads composed of many stamens. The heads are arranged in pedunculate racemes. Female flowers are produced in pendant heads. The fruit is a head of capsules. The seed are small, tan in color, and apically winged. The sweet fragrant resin from the trunk of Sweetgum is known as American Styrax. It has been collected for use as a candy or gum; as an additive to soaps, perfumes, and incense; as an adhesive or lacquer; and as a flavoring for smoking tobacco. Sweetgum is a fast growing tree whose wood is used for pallets, inexpensive furniture, veneer, and barrels. It is commonly planted as an ornamental for its fall color. Several cultivars are available from nurseries. Sweet gum is tolerant of soil types but prefers moist soils in full sun.--A. Diamond

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Native FAC+ (NWPL)

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