Introduction To the Sweetgum
Introduction To the Sweetgum
Sweetgum is sometimes called redgum, probably because of the red color of the older heartwood and its red fall leaves. Sweetgum grows from Connecticut southward throughout the East to central Florida and eastern Texas and is a very common commercial timber species of the South. Sweetgum is easy to identify in both summer and in winter. Look for the star-shaped leaf as foliage grows in the Spring and look for the dried seed balls under the tree (see illustration).
The trunk is normally straight and does not divide into double or multiple leaders and side branches are small in diameter on young trees, creating a pyramidal form. The bark becomes deeply ridged at about 25-years-old. Sweetgum makes a nice conical park, campus or residential shade tree for large properties when it is young, developing a more oval or rounded canopy as it grows older as several branches become dominant and grow in diameter.
Sweetgum Leaf Silhouette
Introduction to Sweetgum, USFS Fact Sheet ST358
Start with the Tree Finder if you are not sure what kind of tree you have!
Description and Identification ofSweetgum
Common Names: sweetgum, redgum, star-leaved gum, alligator-wood, and gumtree
Habitat: Sweetgum grows in moist soils of valleys and lower sloped areas. This tree may also be found in mixed woodlands. Sweetgum is a pioneer species, often found after an area has been logged or clearcut and one of the most common tree species in the Eastern United States.
Description: The star-like leaf has 5 or 7 lobes or points and turns from green in summer to yellow or purple in Autumn.
This leaf is borne on corky-winged limbs and the bark is gray-brown, deeply furrowed with narrow ridges. The fruit is a conspicuous spiked ball that hangs in clusters.
Uses: flooring, furniture, veneers, home interiors, and other lumber applications. The wood is also used as paper pulp and to make baskets.
Sweetgum Photos - ForestryImages.Org
Identify a Sweetgum - Virginia Tech Dendrology
The Natural Range of Sweetgum
Sweetgum grows from Connecticut southward throughout the East to central Florida and eastern Texas. It is found as far west as Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma and north to southern Illinois. It also grows in scattered locations in northwestern and central Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Forest Types of North America
The Great American Hardwood Forest
The Silviculture and Management of Sweetgum
"Sweetgum is adaptable to a variety of conditions, preferring deep, moist, acidic soil and full sun. it grows rapidly when given such a situation but more slowly on dry sites or in less ideal soil. It is a little tricky to transplant because of its coarse root system, but root-pruned or container-grown trees from nurseries establish readily. The tiny seeds germinate freely if stratified and surface-sown in spring..."
- From Native Trees for North American Landscapes - Sternberg/Wilson
"Be careful when locating Sweetgum as a street tree since its large, aggressive roots may lift curbs and sidewalks. Plant trees 8 to 10 feet or more from curbs. Some communities have large numbers of Sweetgum planted as street trees. Much of the root system is shallow (particularly in its native, moist habitat), but there are deep vertical roots directly beneath the trunk in well-drained and in some other soils. The fruit may be a litter nuisance to some in the fall, but this is usually only noticeable on hard surfaces, such as roads, patios, and sidewalks, where people could slip and fall on the fruit..."
- From Introduction to Sweetgum, USFS Fact Sheet ST358
Pest information courtesy of Introduction to Sweetgum, USFS Fact Sheet ST358 :
"Although it grows at a moderate pace, Sweetgum is rarely attacked by pests, and tolerates wet soils, but chlorosis is often seen in alkaline soils. Trees grow well in deep soil, poorly in shallow, droughty soil.
Sweetgum is difficult to transplant and should be planted from containers or transplanted in the spring when young since it develops deep roots on well-drained soil.
It is native to bottomlands and moist soils and tolerates only some (if any) drought. Existing trees often dieback near the top of the crown, apparently due to extreme sensitivity to construction injury to the root system, or drought injury. The tree leafs out early in the spring and is sometimes damage by frost..."
More on Tree Insects and Disease
Roundleaf sweetgun has star-shaped leaves with rounded tips and can turn deep purple to yellow in the fall. Rotundiloba does well in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 10 so it can be planted throughout most of the Eastern states, the Western coastal states but has a problem in upper Mid-western states.
Rotundiloba branches are covered with characteristic sweetgum corky projections. This sweetgum makes a nice park, campus or residential shade tree for large properties.
‘Rotundiloba’ is slowly but steadly being recognized as a superior tree to the species, especially for street tree use or near other paved surfaces, since it develops fewer typical burr-like sweetgum fruit.
More on Roundleaf Sweetgum
Sweetgum is sometimes called redgum, probably because of the red color of the older heartwood and its red fall leaves. Sweetgum grows from Connecticut southward throughout the East to central Florida and eastern Texas and is a very common commercial timber species of the South. Sweetgum is easy to identify in both summer and in winter. Look for the star-shaped leaf as foliage grows in the Spring and look for the dried seed balls under the tree (see illustration).
The trunk is normally straight and does not divide into double or multiple leaders and side branches are small in diameter on young trees, creating a pyramidal form. The bark becomes deeply ridged at about 25-years-old. Sweetgum makes a nice conical park, campus or residential shade tree for large properties when it is young, developing a more oval or rounded canopy as it grows older as several branches become dominant and grow in diameter.
Sweetgum Leaf Silhouette
Introduction to Sweetgum, USFS Fact Sheet ST358
Start with the Tree Finder if you are not sure what kind of tree you have!
Description and Identification ofSweetgum
Common Names: sweetgum, redgum, star-leaved gum, alligator-wood, and gumtree
Habitat: Sweetgum grows in moist soils of valleys and lower sloped areas. This tree may also be found in mixed woodlands. Sweetgum is a pioneer species, often found after an area has been logged or clearcut and one of the most common tree species in the Eastern United States.
Description: The star-like leaf has 5 or 7 lobes or points and turns from green in summer to yellow or purple in Autumn.
This leaf is borne on corky-winged limbs and the bark is gray-brown, deeply furrowed with narrow ridges. The fruit is a conspicuous spiked ball that hangs in clusters.
Uses: flooring, furniture, veneers, home interiors, and other lumber applications. The wood is also used as paper pulp and to make baskets.
Sweetgum Photos - ForestryImages.Org
Identify a Sweetgum - Virginia Tech Dendrology
The Natural Range of Sweetgum
Sweetgum grows from Connecticut southward throughout the East to central Florida and eastern Texas. It is found as far west as Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma and north to southern Illinois. It also grows in scattered locations in northwestern and central Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Forest Types of North America
The Great American Hardwood Forest
The Silviculture and Management of Sweetgum
"Sweetgum is adaptable to a variety of conditions, preferring deep, moist, acidic soil and full sun. it grows rapidly when given such a situation but more slowly on dry sites or in less ideal soil. It is a little tricky to transplant because of its coarse root system, but root-pruned or container-grown trees from nurseries establish readily. The tiny seeds germinate freely if stratified and surface-sown in spring..."
- From Native Trees for North American Landscapes - Sternberg/Wilson
"Be careful when locating Sweetgum as a street tree since its large, aggressive roots may lift curbs and sidewalks. Plant trees 8 to 10 feet or more from curbs. Some communities have large numbers of Sweetgum planted as street trees. Much of the root system is shallow (particularly in its native, moist habitat), but there are deep vertical roots directly beneath the trunk in well-drained and in some other soils. The fruit may be a litter nuisance to some in the fall, but this is usually only noticeable on hard surfaces, such as roads, patios, and sidewalks, where people could slip and fall on the fruit..."
- From Introduction to Sweetgum, USFS Fact Sheet ST358
Pest information courtesy of Introduction to Sweetgum, USFS Fact Sheet ST358 :
"Although it grows at a moderate pace, Sweetgum is rarely attacked by pests, and tolerates wet soils, but chlorosis is often seen in alkaline soils. Trees grow well in deep soil, poorly in shallow, droughty soil.
Sweetgum is difficult to transplant and should be planted from containers or transplanted in the spring when young since it develops deep roots on well-drained soil.
It is native to bottomlands and moist soils and tolerates only some (if any) drought. Existing trees often dieback near the top of the crown, apparently due to extreme sensitivity to construction injury to the root system, or drought injury. The tree leafs out early in the spring and is sometimes damage by frost..."
More on Tree Insects and Disease
Roundleaf sweetgun has star-shaped leaves with rounded tips and can turn deep purple to yellow in the fall. Rotundiloba does well in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 10 so it can be planted throughout most of the Eastern states, the Western coastal states but has a problem in upper Mid-western states.
Rotundiloba branches are covered with characteristic sweetgum corky projections. This sweetgum makes a nice park, campus or residential shade tree for large properties.
‘Rotundiloba’ is slowly but steadly being recognized as a superior tree to the species, especially for street tree use or near other paved surfaces, since it develops fewer typical burr-like sweetgum fruit.
More on Roundleaf Sweetgum
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