Sweet Gum
Liquidambar styraciflua
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Sweet Gum
Details:
Plant Facts Mature Height | 60 - 80 feet | Mature Spread | 40 - 50 feet | Soil Type | Widely Adaptable | Moisture | Widely Adaptable | Mature Form | Pyramidal to Conical | Growth Rate | Moderate to Fast | Sun Exposure | Full Sun - Partial Sun | Flower Color | Insignificant | Fall Color | Orange, Scarlet, Purple | Foliage Color | Green | | 5-9 |
The Sweetgum tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, is a rapid growing shade tree usually grown for its excellent fall color. It has an upright pyramidal growth habit in its youth and then becomes spreading, irregular and open as it ages. The star shaped lustrous dark green foliage turns a spectacular fall color, often a combination of green, yellow, orange, red and purple foliage, but sometimes solid crimson, burgundy or scarlet. The Sweetgum tree usually does not flower or fruit for the first 15 to 20 years. It prefers full sun and can grow to 60 feet high and 40 feet wide. The Sweetgum tree has landscape value as a shade, specimen or focal point tree. Sweetgum trees are an excellent lawn, park, or street tree. Birds like the seeds it produces. The bark has a corky appearance. It has spectacular colors, is fast growing, and has great shade.
Reviews:
Good and bad of Sweet Gum, 10/8/2008 4:57:16 PM
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Reviewer: Katesgarden7
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As a child I always had the best, and most beautiful leaf specimens at school from our Sweet Gum tree. I enjoyed the spungy bark, the leaves, and the shade. I did not enjoy the spiney balls, yes, they hurt when stepped on with bare feet. Yes, like most trees it drips a sappy resin. It also shed branches and twigs for various reasons, as do most trees. However, if and when I ever have a place to plant one - I will. They are truly a beautiful tree. I strongly suggest research be done, and information be known, about any tree, flower, shrub, or vine before being purchased and planted. Some things require upkeep, and others do not. Never plant a Sweet Gum tree where you must walk, or drive a vehicle. The leaves make wonderful compost for the garden. Sweet Gum trees are beautiful and useful.
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Nasty little tree, 6/25/2009 9:02:48 PM
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Reviewer: Tygermane
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When my mom first bought our house, our sweet gum tree was great! Beautiful, the folliage came later than all the other trees and fell later as well. Then she moved and rented her house. I bought it from her a few years a ago and couldn't beleive how tall it got and how skinny it still was! The first year I lived here after raking up those leaves, I saw the little seed pods. They are hard to rake up, they get burried in the ground so you can't find them all and then come spring/summer, you can't go barefoot in the area because you may step on one of the pods you missed. I wish the original owner's had done some research into this tree. I do love the shade it provides, and it is beautiful, but there is also a non-"fruit bearing" version of this tree. I really wish this is the one they would have gotten. One thing I do like about the tree, is when the leaves fall, they aren't spread all over the yard so raking up is pretty easy (aside from the evil seed pods that drop I mean).
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