sweet gum
Liquidambar styraciflua
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size60 to 80 feet tall40 to 60 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow-green
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acidic (pH<6.8)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is a tree for borders, shade gardens, and low maintenance landscapes. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. The glossy, star-shaped leaves turn purple and red in fall. Deer and rabbits usually look elsewhere for a meal. The woody seed balls attract birds, but they can jam reel mowers.
Pairs well with Willow oak, Autumn fern, Halcyon hosta, and Cross vine.
Native range
Eastern United States and Mexico.