They come out of the bud plicate, downy, pale green, when full grown are bright green, smooth, shining above, paler beneath. The treesâ spike ball fruit is almost as telltale for identification as the star-shaped leaves. The woody capsules are mostly filled with abortive seeds resembling sawdust. It was introduced to Britain in 1681. [22], Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is one of the most important commercial hardwoods in the Southeastern United States. You painfully find them with your feet. The tree has a pyramid shape that becomes rounded as the tree matures. [11] They contain tannin and when bruised give a resinous fragrance. The distinctive compound fruit is hard, dry, and globose,1â1.5 inches (25â38 mm) in diameter, composed of numerous (40â60) capsules. When the fruit opens and the seeds are released, each capsule is associated with a small hole (40â60 of these) in the compound fruit. The base is truncate or slightly heart-shaped. Get to Know the Medicinal Uses of Sweet Gum Sap & Fruit. Also, the American sweetgum tree does not grow well in shady areas. The leaves are lobed and the flowers are greenish - yellow. Infection and fungal development of D. dryina were investigated on leaves of sweet gum using a combination of microscopic techniques. It is not, however, sweet. Details L. styraciflua is a deciduous tree to 20m tall, broadly conical in outline, with rather glossy, maple-like, 5 to 7-lobed leaves which turn to shades of orange, crimson and purple in autumn Plant range Eastern USA The bark is a light brown tinged with red and sometimes gray with dark streaks and weighs 37 lbs. In John Ray's Historia Plantarum (1686) it is called Styrax liquida. [12] They are 3â5 inches wide on average and have three distinct bundle scars. [13] It is deeply fissured with scaly ridges. Environmental stress factors may also be involved, as reports have indicated that herbicide application and chlorosis caused by iron deficiency may increase susceptibility of D. dryina. Within Chinese medicine, the properties of the sweet gum seed are also believed to be able to unblock energy pathways and enable the spread of qi, a vital force in traditional Chinese medicine. Luna and Promethea moth caterpillars feed on the leaves. The sweet gum tree is a hardy and beautiful specimen ranging from the Midwestern to Southeastern United States. Witch-Hazel Family (Hamemelidaceae) The fruits of liquidambar or sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) are composed of a spherical cluster of small capsules, each capsule with a sharp-pointed style and a pericarp bearing one or two tiny winged seeds. Infected leaves had numerous necrotic lesions, each surrounded by a reddish halo. Pistillate flowers with a two-celled, two-beaked ovary, the carpels produced into a long, recurved, persistent style. I might change my mind about which tree I love the best in fall. Whether you love them or hate them, there is no denying the sweet gumâs significance in our stateâs history over the years. As a monoecious plant, a sweet gum bears male and female flowers. Orange, red and purple fall colors, 'Gumball' â dwarf shrubby cultivar seldom more than 6 feet (2 meters) tall, with purple-red fall color, 'Moraine' â upright, rounded form, fast growth, red fall color, hardy to â30 °C, 'Palo Alto' â various shades of red in fall; best in California, 'Parasol' â develops rounded crown; mature height 10 meters; deep red fall color, 'Rotundiloba' â sterile cultivar with rounded lobes on leaves, originally discovered in, 'Slender Silhouette' â very narrow columnar form, This page was last edited on 25 December 2020, at 04:14. While you wait, the tree has much to offer. All rights reserved. [11], American sweetgum tree balls (spiny seed pods) -- Liquidambar styraciflua, Sweetgum is one of the most common hardwoods in the southeastern United States, where it occurs naturally in lowlands from southwestern Connecticut south to central Florida, through central Ohio and west to Illinois, southern Missouri, and eastern Texas, but not colder highland areas of Appalachia or the Midwestern states. Once you have a fruiting tree, an entirely new variety of benefits is available to you. The American sweet gum tree is an attractive plant that produces beautiful leaf colours in the fall. Fruit in the center Bo tree, or pipal ( F. religiosa ), is sacred India! It has a corky bark and bears hard, ⦠I don't like throwing the fruit away (garbage collection) and they don't decompose well in my garden. Sweet-gum is known for its unique star-shaped leaves with outstanding yellow, red, and purple fall color. 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