Liquidambar styraciflua
American sweetgum · also Sweetgum, Liquidambar, American storax
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Liquidambar styraciflua, commonly known as sweetgum, is a large deciduous tree native to eastern North America, Mexico, and Central America. It has distinctive five-pointed, star-shaped leaves and produces hard, spiked, spherical fruits. While a popular ornamental tree with striking autumn coloration, its vigorous root system can damage pavement and the falling fruits may create maintenance issues.
Where it grows
Trees in each city's inventory, with the share of that city's named trees this species accounts for.
- 33,6767.2%36 yr18 in
- 14,9251.0%—11 in
- 12,7301.8%—11 in
- 9,3660.82%—1.6 in
- 5,4031.6%—6.3 in
- 4,3311.9%—15 in
- 3,6731.9%9.9 yr5.9 in
- 2,7800.98%21 yr9.8 in
- 2,0250.46%6.8 yr3.1 in
- 1,8060.99%—11 in
- 1,7401.5%17 yr5.0 in
- 1,1830.88%—8.0 in
- 9670.42%—6.3 in
- 7230.10%—2.0 in
- 6660.89%4.8 yr2.0 in
- 4260.16%—2.0 in
- 3760.51%9.8 yr4.7 in
- 3180.91%—13 in
- 2710.08%3.1 yr2.0 in
- 1210.04%—3.0 in
- 1150.73%23 yr7.5 in
- 1100.22%7.8 yr2.4 in
- 610.53%2.3 yr2.0 in
- 480.20%—9.1 in
- 290.02%—3.8 in
- 250.21%6.8 yr2.0 in
- 230.05%—1.6 in
- 100.01%5.4 yr2.0 in
- 60.01%—2.0 in
- 20.00%——
- 20.00%—2.4 in
Traits
- Form
- Broadleaf
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Mature height
- 50–80 ft
- Canopy spread
- 40 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Roots
- Invasive
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
Trunk diameters across every city: median 9.0 in, mean 11 in, 90th percentile 21 in. Measured at breast height, as published by each inventory.
Native range
Terrestrial ecoregions where this species is native. Trees in the dataset mostly stand well outside it.
Temperate Broadleaf & Mixed Forests
- East Central Texas forests
- Mississippi lowland forests
- Northeast US Coastal forests
Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
- Central American Atlantic moist forests
- Central American montane forests
Tropical & Subtropical Coniferous Forests
- Central American pine-oak forests
Other Liquidambar in the catalogue
6 of the top 2,000 species are in this genus.
