This species is native to parts of North America. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It has a high canopy of foliage that sits well above the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. Sweet Gum will grow to be about 70 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 50 feet. Its wood is bright reddish brown (with the sapwood nearly white). Do black gum trees produce gum balls No, black gum produces small fleshy fruit whereas the sweet gum tree produces spiky gum balls. Sweetgum is one of the most important commercial hardwoods in the Southeastern United States. ![]() Sweet Gum is recommended for the following landscape applications American sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraci) is a much larger forest tree that can grow 75 to 130 feet tall. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. This is a high maintenance tree that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. Sweet Gum is a deciduous tree with a strong central leader and a shapely oval form. However, the fruit can be messy in the landscape and may require occasional clean-up. The lobed palmate leaves turn an outstanding crimson in the fall. Sweet Gum has forest green deciduous foliage on a tree with an oval habit of growth. The balsamic juice may be melted with equal parts of olive oil or tallow as a detergent ointment when conditions of indolent ulcers, frost-bite, scabies, itch, ringworm, fistula, scrofula, fever sores and haemorrhoids are present.A tall, spreading shade tree with interestingly shaped leaves that turn brilliant yellow, orange, red and purple in fall somewhat particular about growing conditions fruit is spiny and can be somewhat messy, use where this will not be a problem Also excellent for bloody flux, dysentery and all bowel complaints of children.ġ teaspoonful of the cut or granulated bark to 1 cupful of boiling water drink 1 or 2 cupfuls a mouthful at a time during the day adjust to condition and age. Inner scales enlarge with growing shoot and becomes half an inch long and green tipped with red.Īs a remedy for catarrhs of genito-urinary passages, coughs of pulmonary affection generally, gonorrhoea, gleet, amenorrhoea, leucorrhoea, phthisis (wasting disease, tuberculosis of the lung, consumption) and asthma. Winter buds are yellow brown and one fourth of an inch long. Seeds are winged and one quarter of an inch thick and dispersed by wind. Woody capsules are filled with abortive seeds that resemble sawdust. Each capsule has one to two small seeds and a pair of terminal spikes. From incisions made in the tree a gum exudes which is resinous (storax) and adhesive, and somewhat like white turpentine in appearance, which finally hardens.įlowers are followed by dry, hard, globose fruit about 1-1.5 inches in diameter which comprises of numerous 40 to 60 capsules. The wood is fine-grained, moderately hard and fairly strong the heart wood is known as red gum and hazelwood, is variously coloured red and brown, the sapwood is paler. ![]() ![]() The staminate flowers are inconspicuous, the pistillate in spherical heads maturing into long-stalked, globose masses of spiky-tipped capsules. In the autumn the star-shaped leaves turn brilliant red to purple, making a valuable ornamental tree. The alternate, palmate, shiny leaves have usually five pointed, finely toothed lobes, and are fragrant when bruised. The deeply cut grey or brownish-grey bark forms winged projections on the twigs. Along the rivers of the south-eastern United States, Sweet gums exceed 125 ft. Sweet gum, a tree of the Witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae), native of the eastern United States, also Mexico and Central America.
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