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6 days ago · Discover the joy of identifying fruit trees by their leaves in parks and neighborhoods! This article highlights key leaf features—shape, size, color, and texture—crucial for recognizing trees like peach, cherry, and fig. Explore seasonal changes and learn about resources such as field guides and mobile apps to enhance your skills. Perfect for gardening lovers and nature enthusiasts eager ...
- Sweetgum Tree Facts
- Sweetgum Leaves
- Sweetgum Tree Bark
- Sweetgum Tree Balls
- Sweetgum Tree Flower
- Sweetgum Tree Identification
- Types of Sweetgum Trees
- American Sweetgum Tree
- Sweetgum ‘Slender Silhouette’
- Fruitless Sweetgum
There are 15 species of sweetgum trees in the genus Liquidambar and the family Altingiaceae. Sweetgums are ornamental deciduous trees that are native to North America, Asia, and the Mediterranean. Sweetgum trees are relatively fast-growing trees that reach a mature height between 32 and 130 ft. (10 – 40 m). Sweetgum trees get their name from the sw...
Sweetgum tree leaves are star-shaped, large palmate leaveswith three to seven lobes. The large leaves from sweetgum trees grow between 5” and 8” (12 – 20 cm) long. Looking at pictures of sweetgum leaves, you’ll see that each leaf consists of three to seven pointed blades. In summer, sweetgum leaves are green before turning bright hues of red, yello...
Sweetgum tree has light gray bark with vertical, irregular ridges covering a tall, straight trunk. As the tree matures, sweetgum bark becomes gray-brown, with deeper furrows and narrow ridges.
Sweetgum trees are known for their balls, also called gumballs, sweetgum fruits, or capsules. The spiky gumballs hang in clusters. The hard, brown, woody sweetgum balls measure between 1” and 3” (2.5 – 7.5 cm) and contain numerous seeds. For some gardeners, the sweetgum balls can cause a litter problem, making the tree somewhat messy when the balls...
Sweetgum tree flowers are small inconspicuous clusters of yellowish-green flowers. Sweetgums bloom in April and May, but their non-showy flowers don’t add to the tree’s appeal.
Sweetgum tree identification is by its bark, leaves, and fruit. To identify sweet gum trees, look for large star-shaped lobed green leaves that turn spectacular autumn red, yellow, and orange colors. Sweetgum tree bark looks light gray with vertical fissured ridges. Spiky gumballs are another identifying feature of sweetgum trees. It can be challen...
Let’s look in more detail at common varieties of sweetgum trees. You will find descriptions of the tree’s leaves, bark, growth habit, and spiky gumballs for each tree variety.
The American sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) has large, star-shaped leaves and dark brown spiky gumballs. As a majestic shade tree, the American sweetgum has a tall, straight trunk with a broadly conical crown. This low-maintenance landscape tree grows between 60 and 80 ft. (18 – 24 m) tall and up to 60 ft. (12 m wide). The American sweetgu...
The sweetgum ‘Slender Silhouette’ is an elegant columnar tree that provides a vertical accent in small, compact landscapes. This tall skinny tree is a Liquidambar styracifluacultivar with star-shaped, light glossy green leaves and spiky gumballs. The fast-growing fastigiate (columnar) tree matures at 50 ft. tall (15 m) and is only 4 ft. (1.2 m) wid...
The American sweetgum ‘Rotundiloba’ tree doesn’t have spiky balls typical of most gumball trees. The sweetgum tree has characteristic dark gray-brown furrowed bark and star-shaped palmate leaves. The sterile ‘Rotundiloba’ is a pod-less sweetgum variety that won’t make a mess in the fall and winter. The fruitless Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba...
Liquidambar styraciflua is a medium-sized to large tree, growing anywhere from 15–20 m (50–70 ft) in cultivation and up to 45 m (150 ft) in the wild, [14] with a trunk up 60–90 cm (2–3 ft) in diameter, on average. [15] Trees may live to 400 years. [16] The tree is a symmetrical shape and crowns into an egg shape when the branches get ...
Jul 8, 2022 · Leaves and Fruit of the Sweetgum. The straight trunk of a sweet gum tree is characterized by gray-brown bark that has narrow, deep ridges. The star-like leaf has five or seven lobes or points and ...
Oct 9, 2024 · Gum trees have a strong association with water, and their roots have been used to make fishing nets. The leaves of gum trees have been used as a natural pain reliever for toothache. Gum tree leaves can be used to steam roots and cook food. The bark of gum trees has been used to make traditional aboriginal huts.
Dec 15, 2022 · The spectacular crimson color of the leaves in the fall and the reddish-yellow color of the tree’s sap give redgum its common name. The sweetgum tree is also known as the liquid amber tree and the sugar gum tree. This genus is identified by the spiky balls or gumballs on the sweetgum tree. Sycamore tree fruit looks a lot like the sweetgum ...
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Liquidambar styraciflua is known as the American sweetgum. 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. It is used for its lumber, and is one of the most common ...
