Sweet gum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua) are a common sight in the eastern United States and in several Central American and southern Mexican regions. It maintains a remarkable degree of uniformity as it grows upward with the top of the column about the same width as the base. The trees are tapped for liquidambar balm, though a more fragrant gum is collected from the Oriental, or Turkish, sweet gum (L. orientalis). The Trunk If your sweet gum is too tall to spray, or if you don't want to attempt spraying a small tree, you can stop fruit … Sweet gum seed pods, sometimes called gumballs, are spiny orbs produced from the clusters of small flowers that appear in spring. Sweetgum, Confederate Native Becoming Yankee Favorite. ► In scientific nomenclature, the sweet gum tree is called Liquidambar styraciflua. Drying The sapwood of … Despite its name the gum is not sweet. It is used for its lumber, and is one of the most common sources of hardwood and plywood, but also produces spectacular colors as it drops its leaves in the fall. Eucalyptus is a popular evergreen tree that’s widely used for its medicinal properties. Dr. Francois Couplan in his book The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of Nort… The timber of the sweet gum is valued for its close grain and red tinge, and is used for veneer and furniture. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Each capsule contains several … This article reviews 7 impressive benefits of eucalyptus leaves. Slender Silhouette is a beanpole of a plant, growing 50 feet tall or higher, with a spread of 5 feet at the base. Sweetgum is one of the most common hardwoods in the eastern United States. It is also valued for its heartwood, called red gum or satin walnut, which is used for quality furniture. Sweet gum seed pods, sometimes called gumballs, are spiny orbs produced from the clusters of small flowers that appear in spring. The American sweetgum tree reaches 60 to 70 feet at full maturity, with a 45-foot spread. Purchase a proven cultivar for the best results including 'Sheffield Park', 'Autumn Cascade' and 'Bernheim Select'. Because a sweet gum tree may grow 80 feet tall and hose-end sprayers typically have a maximum good-pressure range of up to 30 feet, spraying a mature sweet gum adequately is difficult for a homeowner. Before deciding to plant a sweet gum tree in your yard, remember that many people consider the multitude of gumballs to be a nuisance to keep cleaned up. The only edible part of the tree is the dried sap which makes a fragrant, bitter chewing gum. The distinctive seed pods are one way to easily identify a sweet gum tree. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Illinois State Museum: Trees: Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), The Assateague Naturalist: Sweetgum Tree (Liquidambar styraciflua). Best offers for your garden - http://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/1Wy5buU ----- Sweet Gum Tree Facts. Sweet gum, a tree of the Witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae), native of the eastern United States, also Mexico and Central America. Sweet gum wood is the second most utilized commercial wood in the United States, after oak. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Cultural Requirements for Sweet Gums. The leaves are star-shaped, with five or seven pointed lobes and finely serrated edges. American sweetgum has dark grey bark covered with scaly ridges. The fine hardwood is used to make flooring, furniture and veneers, cabinetry and paneling. Provides brilliant fall color, with leaves turning vibrant shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. Mature leaves are 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm.) Young Sweetgum. Gum trees can grow in moderately moist soil conditions, but they prefer wet bottomland areas along creeks and river banks. The sweetgum is a fast-growing tree that develops a significant taproot that tolerate high moisture levels in soil. Sweet gum tree leaves have five to seven pointed lobes, and their shape will remind you of a star. The black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is a deciduous tree that is originally from the United States.It is favored for its brilliant fall foliage and its winter form, which displays attractively dropping branches over time. The bark is furrowed, rough and scaly, hence the nickname alligator wood. Stems often have corky and attractive wings during the second year. Trunk can reach around 3 feet in diameter. The star-shaped, glossy green leaves have a pleasant smell if crushed. 2. The fruits are spiny dark brown balls known as an aggregate of capsules. Sweet gum trees may reach heights from 80 to 150 feet, and they may spread to 45 feet wide. Liquidambar styraciflua is a medium-sized to large tree, growing anywhere from 50–70 feet (15–21 m) in cultivation and up to 150 feet (46 m) in the wild, with a trunk up 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m) in diameter, on average. A resin called storax is extracted from the trunk of the sweet gum and is used in incense and perfume. The … Yields long-stemmed, woody, burr-like fruit that is approximately 1½" in … Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Altingiaceae, the sweet gum family, consists of the genus. Liquidambar styracifluaL., sweetgum, is native to southeastern, east-central, and south-central United States, southern Mexico, and central America. 1. The leaves, which are five-lobed and shaped like stars, provide excellent fall foliage color. Facts Sweet-gum is a handsome native tree that reaches the northern edge of its range in New England. Black gum is an excellent choice to add autumn color to your garden. Sweetgum, (American sweetgum, or redgum), Liquidambar styraciflua, is an important southern hardwood and the only New World native among the 4 species belonging to the genus Liquidambar.It is a very desirable ornamental tree in milder northern areas due to … Interesting Facts About Gums . Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The plants produce upright spikes of greenish male flowers and round drooping clusters of female flowers on the same tree. Sweet gum leaves are glossy and dark green in the summer. Trees may live to 400 years. Sweetgum1 Edward F. Gilman and Dennis G. Watson2 INTRODUCTION Sweetgum grows in a narrow pyramid to a height The fine hardwood is used to make flooring, furniture and veneers, cabinetry and paneling. Fact Sheet ST-358 November 1993 Liquidambar styraciflua Figure 1. Fern Fischer's print and online work has appeared in publications such as Midwest Gardening, Dolls, Workbasket, Quilts for Today and Cooking Fresh. sweet gum. See more ideas about sweet gum, sweet gum tree crafts, crafts. Identification. Facts on the Sweet Gum Tree Sweet Gum Description. Other common names include gum trees, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligator-wood, hazel pine, and American storax. 2 Hardwood Lumber – Sweetgum Steam Bending The wood is rated intermediate as an acceptable wood for bending when steamed. With a broader focus on organic gardening, health, rural lifestyle, home and family articles, she specializes in topics involving antique and modern quilting, sewing and needlework techniques. The tree is a symmetrical shape and crowns into an egg shape when the branches get too heavy after its first two years of cultivation. The downside to growing a sweetgum tree is the seed pods. Several species are grown as ornamental trees for their showy fall foliage. Here is some detailed information on the sweetgum tree. Liquidambar, commonly called sweetgum (star gum in the UK), gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. Sweetgum (Liquidambar) is a genus of four species of flowering plants in the family Altingiaceae, though formerly often treated in the Hamamelidaceae. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/plant/sweet-gum, University of Kentucky - Department of Horticulture - Sweetgum, How Stuff Works - Home and Garden - Sweet Gum Tree. Young trees have narrow, pyramidal crown. Sweet gum leaves are glossy and dark green in the summer. Leaves commonly measure 7 inches across. Special Concern. Sweet gums are native to North America and Asia and are valued as a source of resin and timber. The American sweet gum tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, grows in eastern woodlands from southern Connecticut to northern Illinois to Texas to central Florida. Each capsule contains several small seeds, and the fruits often persist through the winter. Because the black gum tree begins to decay from the top down as it ages, this eventually makes the towering giant hollow. It is a large deciduous hardwood tree, which can grow to over 100 feet in height and 3 to 5 feet in diameter, with a symmetrical, cone-shaped crown. In comparison the mildly bitter Sweet Gum is definitely sweeter. Its rotted-out trunks are most often used for bee hives rather than firewood. Liquidambar styraciflua, commonly called the American sweetgum, sweet-gum, alligator-wood, American-storax, bilsted, red-gum, satin-walnut, or star-leaved gum, is a deciduous tree native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America. The foliage ranges from yellow, golden, deep orange, fiery red to deep purple; sweet gum is one of the last species to drop its leaves in the fall. Sweet gums are large trees that bear alternate, sharply (three- to seven-lobed) palmate leaves. The distinctive sticky … Sweet gum, (genus Liquidambar), sometimes spelled sweetgum, genus of 15 species of deciduous trees, the only genus of the family Altingiaceae. Sweet Gum Tree is the name given to the solo work of Loire-Valley based multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Arno Sojo. The gumballs cling to the tree throughout the winter and drop to the ground in the spring. Omissions? 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