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American Sweetgum

Hardiness Zones: 5 - 9
Average shipping height: 3' - 4'
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  • Bare Root
    Member Price $11.99
    Reg. Price $14.99
  • Potted - 1 gallon container
    Member Price $39.99
    Reg. Price $49.99
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The American sweetgum — with its star-shaped leaves, neatly compact crown, interesting fruit, and twigs with unique corky growths called wings — is an attractive shade tree. It has become a prized specimen in parks, campuses, and large yards across the country.

  • Features glossy green star-shaped leaves throughout the summer
  • Produces beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red, and purple in the autumn
  • Keeps its fall leaves late into the season
  • Is native to North America
  • Will be delivered at a height of 3'-4'
The American Sweetgum Grows in zones 5 - 9

Your Tree’s Personality

Shape

Oval

Growth Speed

Medium to Fast

Scientific Name

Liquidambar styraciflua

Mature Height

60' - 75'

Mature Spread

40' - 50'

Shipping Height

3' - 4'

Sun Preference

Full Sun

Soil Preference

Acidic, Clay, Drought, Loamy, Moist, Sandy, Well Drained, Wet

Wildlife Value

American sweetgum seeds are eaten by eastern goldfinches, purple finches, sparrows, mourning doves, northern bobwhites and wild turkeys. Small mammals such as chipmunks, red squirrels and gray squirrels also enjoy the fruits and seeds.

History/Lore

The Sweetgum tree is native to the southeastern United States and a member of a genus made up of only six species. The others are found only in Asia. The first historical reference to the tree comes from the author and soldier, Don Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who accompanied Cortez in 1519 and was a witness to ceremonies between Cortez and Montezuma, who both partook of a liquid amber extracted from a sweetgum tree. The tree itself was first noticed and recorded by the historian Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in 1542. Once commercially popular for soaps, adhesives and pharmaceuticals, today its wood is valuable for fine furniture and interior finishing.

Planting Instructions

Product tags
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