Liquidambar styraciflua
The Sweet Gum tree is also called the Red Gum. The Sweet Gum is tall,
stately and grows naturally from Connecticut and South to New York
and Florida then, west to Southern Illinois, Oklahoma and Eastern Texas.
It grows in mountainous regions of Mexico and Guatemala. The
It has also been planted in the western United States.
The Sweet Gumtree usually grows in areas prone to have an overflow of water.
The Sweet Gum normally reaches heights from 80-100 feet. When mature the trunk is 3-4 feet thick at the base. The leaves are deeply lobed and are star-shaped. The leaves turn red-gold or deep crimson in the autumn. The fruit from the Sweet Gum tree is a brown spiney ball that stays on the tree through the winter.
The Sweet Gum received its name from the sweet, sticky compound it produces called storax. The storax is used to make perfumes, adhesives and salves.
The wood of the sweet gum tree is brown and is tinged with red. The heartwood has a satiny luster and pleasing figure. Sweet Gum wood is marketed as satin walnut and hazel wood. Sweet Gum wood is used to make furniture, interior trim, railroad ties, veneer, cabinets, cigar boxes, boxing materials, crafting material, cheap flooring, barrels, wooden ware, and wood pulps. It is also an important source of plywood.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
