Sweet Gum, American Red Gum, American Sweet Gum, Bilsted, Copalm Balsam, Red Gum, Satin Walnut
Native to eastern North America, Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) is a magnificent, large, deciduous tree adorned with a straight trunk and a broadly conical crown. Narrow and erect when young, the tree develops an oblong to rounded crown at maturity. Aromatic when bruised, its foliage of star-shaped, 5-7 lobed, lustrous dark green leaves turns brilliant shades of orange, crimson and purple and persists late into fall. After dropping to the ground, the attractive branching pattern, furrowed bark and corky wings on twigs are revealed, providing winter interest. In mid-late spring, inconspicuous, yellow-green flowers borne in spherical clusters are on display. They are followed by clusters of hard, spherical, bristly gum balls, 1 in. across (2.5 cm), which usually remain on the tree through the winter. Good-looking all year, Liquidambar styraciflua makes a superb shade tree or specimen tree for a large landscape. Excellent plant for moist soil areas along streams and ponds.
Hardiness |
5 - 10 |
---|---|
Heat Zones |
7 - 9 |
Climate Zones | 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
Plant Type | Trees |
Plant Family | Altingiaceae |
Genus | Liquidambar |
Common names | Sweet Gum |
Exposure | Full Sun |
Season of Interest |
Spring (Early, Mid, Late) Summer (Early, Mid, Late) Fall Winter |
Height |
60' - 80' (18.3m - 24.4m) |
Spread |
40' - 60' (12.2m - 18.3m) |
Maintenance | Low |
Water Needs | Average |
Soil Type | Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Fragrant, Showy, Fruit & Berries |
Native Plants | Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Midwest, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Virginia, West Virginia |
Tolerance | Deer, Rabbit, Clay Soil, Wet Soil |
Garden Uses | Beds And Borders, Rain Gardens |
Garden Styles | Prairie and Meadow |
Hardiness |
5 - 10 |
---|---|
Heat Zones |
7 - 9 |
Climate Zones | 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
Plant Type | Trees |
Plant Family | Altingiaceae |
Genus | Liquidambar |
Common names | Sweet Gum |
Exposure | Full Sun |
Season of Interest |
Spring (Early, Mid, Late) Summer (Early, Mid, Late) Fall Winter |
Height |
60' - 80' (18.3m - 24.4m) |
Spread |
40' - 60' (12.2m - 18.3m) |
Maintenance | Low |
Water Needs | Average |
Soil Type | Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Fragrant, Showy, Fruit & Berries |
Native Plants | Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Midwest, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Virginia, West Virginia |
Tolerance | Deer, Rabbit, Clay Soil, Wet Soil |
Garden Uses | Beds And Borders, Rain Gardens |
Garden Styles | Prairie and Meadow |
How many Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) do I need for my garden?
Plant | Quantity | |
---|---|---|
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!