Sweet Gum Liquidambar styracifula
The American sweet gum tree grows in eastern woodlandsfrom southern Connecticut to northern Illinois to Texas to
central Florida. Sweet gum trees may reach heights from 80
to 150 feet, and they may spread to 45 feet wide. The trunk
of a mature gum tree may be five feet in diameter. Gum
trees can grow in moderately moist soil conditions, but they
prefer wet bottomland areas along creeks and river banks.Sweet gum leaves are glossy and dark green in the
summer. The leaves are star-shaped, with five or seven
pointed lobes and finely serrated edges. Leaves commonly
measure 7 inches across. The bark is furrowed, rough and
scaly, hence the nickname alligator wood. Sweet gum seed
pods, sometimes called gumballs, are spiny orbs produced
from the clusters of small flowers that appear in spring.The
brilliant fall colors and large, spreading size make sweet
gum a sought-after species of shade tree for landscaping.
The foliage ranges from yellow, golden, deep orange, fiery
red to deep purple.