Common Name(s): | Sweetgum, Redgum |
Scientific Name: | Liquidambar styraciflua |
Family: | Hamamelidaceae |
Longevity: | Perennial |
Season: | Cool |
Origin: | Native |
Height: | 40 m |
Flowers: | March - May |
Fruits: | Fall |
Description: A large tree with a cone-shaped crown common to dominant in bottomlands of the southeastern and eastern U.S. Sweetgum is a handsome tree often planted for shade and for its star-shaped leaves that turn orange to reddish purple in the fall. It is also an important commercial hardwood tree. The gum from the inner bark has a long history of use including chewing-gum, antiseptic and the treatment of skin diseases and dysentery. |