The sweet gum grows in a long list of states, thinning to a more patchy distribution as it spreads southward into Mexico and Central America. American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), also known as American storax, hazel pine, bilsted, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligatorwood, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central America.Sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees … Sweet gum trees may reach heights from 80 to 150 feet, and they may spread to 45 feet wide. In its fresh, liquid form it was used to flavor chewing gum up into the 1920's. This post will focus on the North American variety. The … Rake your sweet gum balls into rows and the rows into 18-inch wide mounds. But sweet gum trees often serve a different purpose. Do not tear bark from the same tree many times or it may harm or kill the tree. Mature leaves are 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm.) Sweet gum, (genus Liquidambar), sometimes spelled sweetgum, genus of 15 species of deciduous trees, the only genus of the family Altingiaceae. The American sweet gum tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, grows in eastern woodlands from southern Connecticut to northern Illinois to Texas to central Florida. Such trees can grow to be as old as 400 years old and … Take, for instance, the sweet gum trees tendency to rot from the inside out. So avoid taking gum trees with a lot of lean or that are limb-heavy on one side. Gum Tree Gum Tree Spiritual Meaning and Medicinal Uses. There are three additional varieties of Sweetgum trees, all of which are native to Asia. Sweet gum, a tree of the Witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae), native of the eastern United States, also Mexico and Central America. Sweet gum is a deciduous, forest-dwelling tree, growing as high as 150 feet, the tree is covered with rough, gray bark; but the branchlets are reddish-brown and often have corky ridges. They also feature distinct five-pointed leaves as well as spiked fruits that are sometimes called “gumballs” and seeds that attract birds. They can grow to be up to 150 feet, which makes them great for those in search of shade trees for homes, parks, college campuses, and more. This is a reference to the sap or resin of the Sweetgum tree. The sweet gum wood is also used for fabricating veneers, flooring, and making decorative baskets. My plan is to have 6”x 6”x 3/4” tiles for the entire house. The seeds of the sweetgum are eaten by birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. Around my old hermit camp in Mississippi they were the most numerous woody species. Hello I’m trying to decide on wood for endgrain wood flooring and sweet gum is plentiful on my property and I personally think it is beautiful wood. Their fall color lasts much longer than most other trees. Use the chainsaw to slice the sapling horizontally near the bottom of the tree so you’re left with an even stump. If your sweet gum trunk is fairly wide, it’s best to use a chainsaw to chop it down for a quick and easy tree removal. The somewhat sweet sap was allowed to dry some and then used as a chewing gum. Its resin, for which the genus is named, is valuable in incense production and for various medicinal purposes. Who knew?! Creating a "band" of barkless area around the tree is harmful to the tree. Their treat was the sap of the native sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua). There, they sought out a tree with unusual star-shaped leaves and bark resembling alligator skin. When cut, it exudes a sticky, resinous gum or balsam. The downside to growing a sweetgum tree is the seed pods. It is also prized as a landscape tree because of its large shade canopy and deep green shiny leaves. Texas ... help with digestion. They aren’t sweet, but I am going to tell you all about some “sweet uses” for them. It grows fast for a rapid harvest, yielding lumber and veneer for furniture-making. I am sure that many people view them as a primarily as a hazard. Lower the running mower onto each clump until the balls are broken up. Sweet gum tree leaves have five to seven pointed lobes, and their shape will remind you of a star. Sweetgum bark. The American sweetgum is a large shade tree with an ovular shape. They were formerly often treated in Hamamelidaceae.They are decorative deciduous trees that are used in the wood … Gum wood is also used for fabricating veneers, flooring, and making decorative baskets to central Florida styraciflua! Done with a diameter of 3 to 5 feet also used sweet gum tree uses fabricating veneers,,. Uses of the Sweetgum are eaten by birds, squirrels, and in the spring you may just use sweet gum tree uses... `` sweet gum Ball time of year again and that means you may just use:... 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