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American Sweet Gum

Liquidambar Styraciflua

Design with this plant

Overview

The American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) thrives in zones 5-9, reaching up to 60-75 feet tall with a 40-50 feet spread. Notable for its star-shaped leaves and vibrant fall colors, it prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Its spiky gumballs can be a maintenance issue. Provides excellent shade but root system can disrupt pavements. It's deciduous, with a moderate to fast growth rate.

Sun FullWater MediumZones 7–10Type TreeClimate Temperate
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — contributing to its name and lending a sweet; the American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), image 147

Culture

Sun
Full
Water
Medium
USDA zones
7–10

Shape & size

Classification

Type
Tree
Family
Hamamelidaceae
Climate
Temperate

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Photos (170)

American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — It thrives in full sun, requiring at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day, image 67
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — which adds a textural element to the landscape during the leaf-off season; persists through winter, image 114
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — tolerating even clay soils; with a canopy spread of 40 to 50 feet, image 141
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — transforming into a kaleidoscope of yellows; it's deciduous, with a moderate to fast growth rate
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — which adds a textural element to the landscape during the leaf-off season; persists through winter, image 139
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — balsamic aroma to the garden space.<br><br>In choosing the American Sweet Gum for a landscape, image 73
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — Provides excellent shade but root system can disrupt pavements; is a captivating deciduous tree, image 55
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — clients will enjoy a majestic tree with year-round interest and a vivid seasonal display; but the, image 149
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — ensuring there is ample space for growth.<br><br>The tree's fruit; provides excellent shade but root, image 144
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — It thrives in full sun, requiring at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — Provides excellent shade but root system can disrupt pavements; is a captivating deciduous tree, image 105
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — reaching up to 60-75 feet tall with a 40-50 feet spread; its star-shaped leaves are a luscious green, image 127
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — clients will enjoy a majestic tree with year-round interest and a vivid seasonal display; but the species is
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — Provides excellent shade but root system can disrupt pavements
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — which adds a textural element to the landscape during the leaf-off season; persists through winter, image 89
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — this tree presents a pyramidal form in its youth that becomes more rounded with maturity; it thrives, image 110
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — Notable for its star-shaped leaves and vibrant fall colors, it prefers full sun and moist, image 53
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — landscape designers should note its potential size and root system when positioning it; balsamic, image 118
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — tree for full; contributing to its name and lending a sweet
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — but the species is adaptable; reaching up to 60-75 feet tall with a 40-50 feet spread
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — contributing to its name and lending a sweet; the American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), image 122
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — Its star-shaped leaves are a luscious green throughout spring and summer; clients will enjoy a, image 61
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — with a canopy spread of 40 to 50 feet; this tree presents a pyramidal form in its youth that becomes, image 134
American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar Styraciflua) — with a canopy spread of 40 to 50 feet; this tree presents a pyramidal form in its youth that becomes more
Photographs by 13 contributors

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