Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua

Sweetgum 

Most people who grew up in the southeastern United States will be familiar with the fruit of the sweetgum, though they may not recognize it by that name. Some may call them gum balls; others may prefer terms such as monkey balls, sticker balls, or burr balls. Regardless of name, many can recall the feel of stepping on one barefoot – which has resulted in some cities banning sweetgums. This beneficial tree, however, has long been used by natives of North America, Central America, and Mexico for its resin – or gum – which has been used in medicines and chewing gum.  

The following identification information is from Trees of Alabama, a Gosse Nature Guide by Lisa J. Samuelson. Use of this text was permitted by the University of Alabama. Order your own copy of this great guide to Alabama’s trees here: https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Alabama-Gosse-Nature-Guides/dp/0817359419

Sweetgum Family (Altingiaceae)  

Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua L.  

COMMON NAMES sweetgum, red gum, satin walnut  

QUICK GUIDE Leaves alternate, simple, star shaped, with five to seven deeply palmate lobes, margin finely serrate; fruit a spiny ball of capsules; bark gray-brown with flattened interlacing ridges; branches often with corky wings.  

DESCRIPTION Leaves are alternate, simple, deciduous, star shaped, 8-15 cm (3.1-5.9 in) wide, and palmately veined, with five to seven palmate lobes; apices are acuminate; base is truncate; margin is finely serrate; petiole is 13-15 cm (5.1-5.9 in) long; autumn color is yellow or red. Twigs are moderately stout, yellow-brown to green-brown, and shiny, with lenticels and often corky wings; leaf scar is shield shaped with three bundle scars. The terminal bud is up to 2 cm (0.8 in) long and acute; scales are overlapping, red-brown to purple-green, shiny, and tipped with white pubescence. Flowers are imperfect and appear with the leaves in the spring; staminate flowers are in yellow-green, round heads in erect terminal clusters up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long; pistillate flowers are in small green heads on long drooping stalks. Fruit is a spiny woody ball (“gumballs”) of capsules about 3 cm (1.2 in) wide, and matures in early fall. Bark is gray-brown with corky ridges on small trees and darker with flat interlacing ridges on large trees. The growth form is up to 36 m (120 ft) in height and 1.2 m (4 ft) in diameter, and can form thickets.  

HABITAT A variety of sites ranging from dry sandy soils to intermittently flooded bottomlands.  

NOTES Sweetgum is a vigorous colonizer and root sprouter. Forest associates are numerous and site dependent. The wood is moderately heavy and moderately hard and is used for veneer, trim, boxes, pallets, and pulpwood. The red heartwood is used for furniture. The sap was used in chewing gums and skin balms. Cultivars have been developed to enhance fall color and cold hardiness, and a fruitless cultivar is available. Seeds are used by mallard ducks and eaten directly from seed balls by various finches and occasionally by gray squirrels. The bark is relished by beavers.  

Liquidambar refers to the brown-yellow sap; styracijlua refers to the fragrant, gummy resin (styrax) exuded from cut twigs.