Sweet Gum Tree Bark Identification
Sweet gum seed pods sometimes called gumballs are spiny orbs produced from the clusters of small flowers that appear.
Sweet gum tree bark identification. A sweet gum is a deciduous tree in the witch hazel family that ranges in height from 60 to 100 feet and has a narrow oval canopy. Sweet gum a tree of the witch hazel family hamamelidaceae native of the eastern united states also mexico and central america. Round globose 1 1 5 inches 25 38 mm in diameter. In scientific nomenclature the sweet gum tree is called liquidambar styraciflua this name was derived from the tree s innate property of secreting a resin like substance.
The deeply cut grey or brownish grey bark forms winged projections on the twigs. Sweetgum makes a nice conical park campus or residential shade tree for large properties when it is young developing a more oval or rounded canopy as it grows older as several branches become dominant and grow in diameter. In height and 4 ft. The bark becomes deeply ridged at about 25 years old.
Identification sweet gum leaves are glossy and dark green in the summer. It hails from the altingiaceae family tree belonging to the saxifragales order. Along the rivers of the south eastern united states sweet gums exceed 125 ft.