Sweetgum

Both ornamental and useful, the sweetgum tree is one you have likely seen in many landscapes - yards, parks, campuses, and other places of visual interest. One of the only downfalls of this tree is the spiky "gumball" fruits, which can be a nuisance if the tree is planted in a location with heavy foot traffic. The name is derived from the hardened sap which was once chewed like gum.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Liquidambar styraciflua

HISTORY: The sweetgum was originally native to the southeastern region of the United States, and was used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes. They created an infusion of the bark for use in poultices for cuts, sores, and bruises, as well as treatment for diarrhea and dysentery. In 1519, Spanish conquistador Don Bernal Diaz del Costillo recorded that Cortez and Aztec emperor Montezuma partook of a liquid amber extract from the sweetgum.

LEAVES: Sweetgum leaves resemble a star; they are palmately lobed with 5-7 points, alternate, and simple. They are glossy and darker green in the summer and a mix of yellow, red, and purple tones in the fall.

FRUIT/CONE/NUT/SEED: The gumball fruits are 1-1.5 inches with spiny tips with winged seeds.

FLOWERS: Sweetgum trees are monoecious (meaning they have both male and female flowers on the same tree). Female flowers are yellow-green and drooping, while male flowers are upright and reddish-green.

BARK: Sweetgum trees have grayish brown bark with deep furrows and somewhat rounded ridges, occasionally developing a corky texture.

HEIGHT: Sweetgum trees can attain heights of 60-75 feet.

USES: The lumber is used for cabinetry, furniture, flooring, interior finishing, and pulpwood for fine papers. Sweetgums are also used for their resin - a fragrant substance called styrax or storax - which is used for cosmetics, soaps, perfumes, fixatives, and tobacco.

SOURCES:

https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_list2.pdf

https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/sweet-gum

https://shop.arborday.org/american-sweetgum

https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/sweet-gum/

The Beardsley Avenue District Tree Tour is generously sponsored by Kallimani Tree Services.