American Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua · Altingiaceae (Sweetgum family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous
Shape
Star-shaped (palmate) with 5 sharply pointed lobes
Margin
Finely serrate toothed edges
Arrangement
Alternate arrangement on the stems with slender, reddish petioles
Venation
Palmate venation radiating outward from the base into each of the five principal lobes
Key Features
Star-shaped 5-lobed leaves with fine teeth, alternate leaf arrangement, reddish leaf stems, and distinctive corky ridges or 'wings' often found on older twigs and branches.
Description
The American Sweetgum is a large, stately deciduous tree easily recognized by its distinctive star-shaped leaves and unique spiky galls. It features deeply furrowed gray bark and puts on a brilliant autumn display of reds, purples, and oranges. The fruit consists of hard, woody, spiky balls containing numerous small seeds.
Habitat
Found primarily in moist, fine-grained alluvial soils along streams and bottomlands, as well as disturbed upland sites. Prefers full sun.
Native Range
Native to southeastern North America, ranging from Connecticut west to Missouri, and south to Florida and eastern Texas, extending into parts of Mexico and Central America.