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native plant database: Liquidambar styraciflua L. Sweetgum,
American sweetgum USDA Symbol: LIST2 USDA Native Status: Native
to U.S. A large, open-crowned tree, sweet-gum grows 75 ft. tall
in cultivation and up to 130 ft. in the wild. Large, aromatic
tree with straight trunk and conical crown that becomes round
and spreading. Young trees are distinctly conical in form. The
long, straight trunk is occasionally buttressed and bears
strong, ascending branches. Glossy green, deciduous leaves have
five deep lobes making a star shape. Fall foliage is purple and
red, and will become colorful even without cold temperatures.
The fruit is a globular, horny, woody ball, 1 in. in diameter,
which hangs on a long stem and persists through January. An
important timber tree, Sweetgum is second in production only to
oaks among hardwoods. It is a le