Campus Tree Tour
Hamamelidaceae – Witch-hazel Family
In 2024, the sweetgum within McCarty Woods was 108.5 feet tall and had a diameter of 39 inches. Based on USDA Forest Service models it will absorb approximately 2,788 lbs. of carbon over the next 20 years. Put simply, this tree alone will offset up to 11,283 car miles worth of carbon dioxide.
The sweetgum near Museum Road was 84.6 feet tall and had a diameter of 25 inches. Based on USDA Forest Service models it will absorb approximately 2,999.59 lbs. of carbon over the next 20 years, offsetting up to 12,138 car miles worth of carbon dioxide.
See all species on our Campus Tree Tour.
Introduction
Sweetgum, native to the Southeastern United States, is known for its rapid growth and distinctive star-shaped leaves and spiky fruit. While frequently planted in urban settings, sweetgum naturally grows in floodplain or upland areas that burn infrequently. Though they have some value in the timber industry, in Florida, sweetgums are often harvested as pulp for paper production.
Physical Description
Life expectancy: Up to 300 years
Height: 60 – 75 feet
Crown: 35 – 50 feet
Diameter: 48 inches +
Bark: Grayish brown with long, linear fissures. Fairly soft and corky so that indents can be left with a fingernail.
Leaves: Deciduous, simple, and alternately arranged upon the stem. Leaves are multi-lobed, creating a star-like, stellate shape. Margins are serrated, the top and bottom sides are green and glabrous (smooth), and when crushed, leaves release a distinct fresh odor.
Twigs: Some twigs have corky appendages or wings that extend out from the twig.
Flowers: Small, inconspicuous staminate racemes (male flowers) and pistillate (female) flowers that bloom from March to early May.
Fruits: Moderately sized (1 to 1 ½ inch), round, spikey wooden fruits called an aggregate of capsules. The fruit is produced during the fall and winter and the capsules produce tiny seeds.
Key Identification Characteristics: bark, alternate leaf arrangement, star-shaped leaves, fresh odor
Past and Present Uses
Sweetgum resin was chewed by indigenous people and early settlers while various parts of the plant were used to treat gastrointestinal issues and wounded soldiers during the civil war. The tree also was once extensively logged leading to fewer large-sized specimens once common.
Now, the wood is used for furniture or plywood. Occasionally sweetgums are planted in plantations for pulpwood. As sweetgums mature, they sometimes have a fungal infection which creates a staining of the heartwood. This stained wood is highly sought after for laminates on furniture, and these “redgum” trees are rare but valuable. When used as a landscape tree, sweetgums require careful management since they have shallow roots that are not windfirm, and their roots can potentially impact sidewalks.
Ecological Importance
Origin: Native to the United States
Native Range:
Found north in Connecticut, south to Florida, west to Texas. Also found scattered around Central America in Mexico, Belize, and Nicaragua.
Figure 1. Native range of Sweetgum. Photo credit: U.S. Geological Survey
Sweetgum has a wide tolerance to different soils and site conditions, making it an adaptable pioneer species. It is commonly found in moist soils within bottomland hardwood forests and river bottoms that may flood for short periods of time. Sweetgum can also grow in upland sites in the absence of fire. This species is associated with other trees such as swamp chestnut oak, red maple, loblolly pine, and hickories.
Sweetgum serves as an important food source for wildlife. Songbirds, like the American finch, consume its seeds during the winter while other birds may probe the fruits for insects. Small mammals may consume its seeds and bark, and some insect larvae complete their juvenile life cycle upon the tree.
More Information
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST358
References
Gilman, E. F., Watson, D. G., Klein, R. W., Koeser, A. K., Hilbert, D. R., & McLean, D. C. (2019). Enh-517/ST358: Liquidambar Styraciflua: Sweetgum. Ask IFAS - Powered by EDIS. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST358
i-Tree. (2006). Tree tools - calculate the benefits of trees!. i-Tree. https://www.itreetools.org/
Kormanik, P. P. (n.d.). Sweetgum. Liquidambar Styraciflua L. https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/liquidambar/styraciflua.htm
North Carolina Plant Toolbox. (n.d.-b). Liquidambar styraciflua. Extension Gardener. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/liquidambar-styraciflua/#:~:text=American%20sweetgum%20grows%20in%20full,of%204%20feet%20or%20more
SUNY Buffalo State University. (n.d.). Liquidambar styraciflua. Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum . https://arboretum.buffalostate.edu/liquidambar-styraciflua