Sweet Gum Tree

The Sweet Gum tree has tall deciduous tree native to North America, known for its distinctive star-shaped leaves, spiky brown seed balls, and vibrant fall foliage. One of the standout benefits of using trees in landscaping is their striking visual appeal.

The sweet gum, also known as Liquidambar styraciflua and American sweetgum, is considered to be a highly valuable forest tree. It can occasionally be confused for a maple as it has star-shaped, five-pointed leaves.

Sweet Gum Tree Leaves

In the summer, these will grow smooth and shiny leaves with a rich, satisfying green color. It's in autumn that the sweetgum really shines, though. Their leaves can turn into a variety of different colors, including dark purple, yellow, and red. Once again, comparable to maples, they appear to be almost on fire as they go out in a blaze of glory. It's truly something to behold and will easily become your favorite fall beauty.

The Flowers and Fruit Of Sweet Gum Tree

Flowers first appear in spring, and they'll typically hang in there until at least fall. Depending on their gender, you may see yellowish-green drooping flowers or reddish-green upright flowers. Either way, the staminate flowers can grow up to three inches long. Over time, the ovaries of the sweetgum's flowers will harden and become fruit.

The fruit is dry and hard, and each one-inch fruit contains between 40-60 capsules. Inside of these capsules are small seeds. Once they fall to the ground, these seeds are commonly referred to as burr balls. The majority of these seeds won't come to fruition, but they do provide a nice food source for squirrels, birds, and chipmunks.

Sweet Gum Tree on My Property

Sweetgums offer excellent shade, and they should be planted away from foot traffic. They have a long and distinguished history that dates back to at least 1517, and they can live for up to 400 years. As they grow, they'll develop deeply ridged bark that is sometimes called alligatorwood. Additionally, the branches will become gray, dark brown, or reddish-brown.

The Legacy Of Sweet Gum Tree

If you're fond of stepping on fallen leaves, you'll be treated to a camphor-like fragrance. When you combine this with the absolutely breathtaking autumn appearance of sweetgum, you'll be getting a deciduous sapling that can become part of your overall legacy. After all, with its long lifecycle, it can outlive you, along with several subsequent generations.

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