Liquidambar styraciflua
American Sweet Gum
Hamamelidaceae
Deciduous, Trees
LIQUIDAMBARValuable for form, foliage, fall color, easy culture. Moderate growth rate. Young and middle-aged trees are generally upright, somewhat cone shaped; older ones have a more spreading habit. Lobed, maplelike leaves. Flowers are inconspicuous; fruits are spiny balls that ornament trees in winter, must be raked up throughout the year.
Native to the Eastern United States, this grows about 60 ft. tall in gardens, but much taller in the wild. It is narrow and erect in youth, with lower limbs eventually spreading to 20–25 ft. Good looking all year, and delivers spectacular red, orange, and purple late-fall color even in mild-winter areas. Branching pattern, furrowed bark, and corky wings on twigs all provide winter interest, as do hanging seedpods: 1 1/2-in., spiky spheres reminiscent of tiny medieval maces. On mature trees, seedpods are profuse enough to cause a litter problem (especially on lawns, where they interfere with mowing), and they’re painful to walk on in bare feet. Tolerates damp soil; resists oak root fungus.
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