American Sweetgum Sweet Gum Tree Leaves
The star like leaf has 5 or 7 lobes or points and turns from green in summer to yellow or purple in autumn.
American sweetgum sweet gum tree leaves. Sweetgum is a pioneer species often found after an area has been logged or clearcut and one of the most common tree species in the eastern united states. The sweetgum produces greenish flowers covered with fine hairs and its fruit resembles small sticker balls or burr balls which are eaten by birds and chipmunks. American sweetgum are deciduous trees prized for their star shaped leaves that turn a mix of brilliant fall colors. Grows 60 70 with a 45 spread.
American sweetgum also known as american storax hazel pine bilsted redgum satin walnut star leaved gum alligatorwood or simply sweetgum is a deciduous tree in the genus liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern north america and tropical montane regions of mexico and central america. It is one of the 100 most common trees in north america. Its shape is pyramidal becoming more rounded with age. Sweet gum trees are native to the eastern u s but grow well throughout u s.
In height and 4 ft. 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. They are decorative deciduous trees that are used in the wood industry and for ornamental purposes. It is recognizable by the combination.
The alternate palmate shiny leaves have usually five pointed finely toothed lobes and are fragrant when bruised. However it can be prone to certain diseases. The tree prefers moist slightly acidic soil but. Liquidambar styraciflua is known as the american sweetgum.
Leaves turn yellow purple red in the fall and stay on the tree quite late. It is a popular street tree and is prized for its flashy display of fall foliage. It is a deciduous tree that can be found in southeastern u s as well as southern mexico and central america. The sweetgum is a fast growing tree that develops a significant taproot that tolerate high moisture levels in soil.
The sweet gum tree grows fairly fast and thrives in different types of soil including sand and clay. Deep glossy green star shaped leaves mark the sweetgum. They range in color from green to yellow to deep red. The deeply cut grey or brownish grey bark forms winged projections on the twigs.
The sweetgum is a monoecious species and is. In the autumn the star shaped leaves turn brilliant. 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. Sweetgum leaves are star shaped with five sometimes seven long pointed lobes whose veins connect to a notched base.
The american sweet gum tree is also called liquidambar. Sweet gum a tree of the witch hazel family hamamelidaceae native of the eastern united states also mexico and central america. Department of agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 9 in full sun. They were formerly often treated in hamamelidaceae.
Sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern united states and is a popular ornamental tree in temperate climates. It grows to 75 feet in height and prefers full sun in zones 5 to 9 which includes all but the very northern and southern parts of the united states.