Liquidambar styraciflua L.
American sweetgum, redgum, sweetgum, starleaf-gum
American sweetgum is native to the eastern United States and mountainous regions of Mexico and Guatemala.
Plants: Sweetgum trees have several unusual and interesting features. They are 60–100′ (18–30 m) tall, and 40–60′ (12–18 m) wide. Some trees develop corklike ridges on 2-year-old stems (Photo 8), or even pyramid-shaped bumps.
Leaves: Distinctively shaped—a 5- or 7-pointed star. Leaf edges have somewhat serrated edges. When crushed, the leaves produce a camphor-like odor. In the fall, leaves may be shades of red, orange, deep red, or purplish.
Flowers: Spherical clusters of inconspicuous, yellow-green flowers appear in April to May.
Fruits: The distinctive-looking fruits, called gum balls, are tough spiny round or oval balls that persist through the winter.
Habitats: Wet river bottoms, in swamps that frequently flood, and on drier uplands.
Online References:
1 · 7/20/2017 · Douthat State Park, Millboro, Virginia · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm) 
2 · 4/7/2012 · Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, Maryland 
3 · 7/20/2017 · Douthat State Park, Millboro, Virginia · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm) 
4 · 5/6/2011 · Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Chester, Maryland · ≈ 4 × 3½″ (11 × 9.2 cm) 
5 · 5/6/2011 · Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Chester, Maryland · ≈ 10 × 15″ (26 × 39 cm) 
6 · 5/6/2011 · Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Chester, Maryland · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) 
7 · 6/9/2018 · Virginia · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm) 
8 · 5/6/2011 · Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Chester, Maryland · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) 
9 · 7/1/2023 · Pocahontas State Park, Chesterfield, Virginia 
10 · 4/9/2011 · Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, Maryland · ≈ 6 × 6″ (15 × 14 cm) 
11 · 3/13/2012 · New Jersey · ≈ 3½ × 2½″ (9.3 × 7 cm) 
12 · 4/7/2012 · Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, Maryland · ≈ 16 × 12″ (41 × 29 cm) 
13 · 7/20/2017 · Douthat State Park, Millboro, Virginia · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm) 
14 · 4/9/2011 · Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, Maryland · ≈ 11 × 7″ (27 × 18 cm) 
15 · 8/30/2013 · Chris and Kelley’s, Midlothian, Virginia · ≈ 3½ × 3″ (8.9 × 8.3 cm) 
16 · 11/8/2015 · James River Park System, Virginia 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Hamamelidae | Wind-pollinated shrubs |
| Order | Hamamelidales | Witch hazels and related plants |
| Family | Hamamelidaceae | Witch-hazels |
| Genus | Liquidambar | From the Latin liquidus, “liquid, flowing,” and the Arabic ambar or anbar, “ambergris,” in reference to the fragrant gum or resin exuded by this tree |
| Species | styraciflua | Flowering with gum, see following entry |
Liquidambar styraciflua description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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