The official start of summer is almost here! Kids are out of school, and vacations are in full swing. The lakes, rivers, and beaches are busy. Campgrounds are bustling with laughter and the sounds of crackling campfires. Before we know it, we will be celebrating Independence Day. The 4th of July. All things RED, WHITE, and BLUE. STARS and STRIPES!! That is not stopping TREE TALK TUESDAY! Today’s spotlight is the American Sweetgum Tree.
- Scientific Name: Liquidambar styraciflua
- Family: Altingiaceae
- Common Names: American Sweetgum, Sweetgum, Redgum, Gumball Tree
- Lifespan: 100-150 years old
- Height: 60′-70′ tall
- Width: The spread of the branches can reach 45′. The width of the trunk of 3′-4′
- Fall Colors: yellow, oranges, reds, and purples
- Bark: Gray-brown in color. Deep irregular furrows.
What kid wouldn’t want a gumball tree?!?!? Unfortunately, this tree isn’t producing yummy, juicy, colorful gumballs, but rather spiky fruits, that are pretty painful to step on if wandering around barefoot! These spiked fruits begin growing on the tree as green gumballs, and as they age they turn brown and dry out. As they dry, holes open up, exposing capsules with winged seeds, which provide food for various animals.
As sweetgum trees generally like growing in wet or swampy areas in the Eastern United States, it comes as no surprise that a few of the birds that eat the seeds are ducks such as wood ducks and mallards. Other birds that eat these seeds are red-winged blackbirds, chickadees, sparrows, cardinals, sapsuckers, and goldfinch. Squirrels and chipmunks enjoy the seeds too!
Why did I choose the Sweetgum as the tree for today’s Tree Talk Tuesday? Well, I mentioned the 4th of July for a reason. Stars. This tree has a STAR SHAPED LEAF! Yes, the gumball tree is made up of stars! And with the array of bright colors in the fall, it is a bit of a firecracker display too!
I am surprised I cannot find my own pictures of this tree, or its fruit (each picture links to its source). Though often considered “messy” and even “obnoxious” because of dropping its spiky fruit all over the ground, the American Sweetgum is a lovely tree! Glossy green star-shaped leaves all summer, a fairly large canopy creating shade on hot summer days, brilliant fall colors, and food for many critters. What more could you ask for really?
One more fun fact to end the post – The sap that can be found oozing from the tree was once known as “Liquid Amber”. Sound oddly familiar? Remember the scientific name for the tree? Liquidambar. Hmmm…not a coincidence. This sap was once chewed on like, you guessed it…gum. Fascinating.
All these fun facts, and somehow this tree has yet to appear in any Baby Ranger Books. That will have to change! As always- I encourage you to go explore. Look up into the treetops, do you see any star-shaped leaves? Do you see any dried gumballs on the ground from previous years? Let me know what you find!
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