Sweetgum is a large native deciduous tree with a straight trunk and a pyrimadal habit that becomes rounded with age. The glossy green star-shaped leaves turns a mixture of yellows, oranges, reds, and purples in fall. Female flowers give way to the distinctve spiky ‘gumball’ seedpods. Best color in full sun and moist well-drained soil.
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Type:
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Tree
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Origins:
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SE N. America, C. America; GA Native
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Height:
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60' - 80'
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Spread:
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40’ - 60'
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Spacing:
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50'
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USDA Hardiness Zone:
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5 - 9
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Culture:
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Full Sun
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Bloom Color:
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Green
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Season of Interest:
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Fall
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MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low Maintenance. Water Regularly. It can be susceptible to leaf spot and powdery mildew. Seedpod drops can be messy or a hazard if planted near walkyas or paths.
LANDSCAPE USES: Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Wildlife Gardens, Urban Gardens, Foundational Planting, and Hedges.
COMPANION PLANTS: Blue Spruce, Juniper, Boxwood
IMAGES: (2) Mattinbgn contribs), Goulburn Court House Liquidambar styraciflua 001, CC BY 3.0, (3) Bart from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Sweet gum buds, CC BY 2.0, Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, (4) Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Liquidambar styraciflua kz2, CC BY-SA 4.0, (5) Liquidambar styraciflua kz3, CC BY-SA 4.0,
