Liquidambar Styraciflua 7 Gal

American Sweet Gum, Redgum, Red Sweet Gum, Sweetgum, Sweet Gum, Sweetgum Tree
Liquidambar styraciflua

One of the great trees of the American Southeast, these WNC native trees are a classic shade tree. With 5-pointed foliage that vaguely resembles a Maple, these have pleasing green leaves that turn colorful shades of gold-orange-red in fall. In the wild, they are found in moist bottomlands. They are fire-resistant in the landscape. These trees produce spiky fruits, which birds rely on for a food source. Deciduous.

⭐Recommended to Plant: Sweetgums are listed on the City of Asheville Recommended Species List (2022).

🦋Help pollinators: In NC, these trees have been observed as the host plant for 2 species of butterflies, and 59 species of moths, including the showy Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis).

🐦Help birds: Birds rely on the fruits and all those butterfly and moth caterpillars for food. According to the Audubon these trees can invite cardinals, chickadees, jays, finches, mockingbirds, nuthatches, blackbirds, new world sparrows, thrushes, vireos, waxwings, wood warblers, wrens, and more to the garden.

🦌Deer resistant: Sweetgums aren't at the top of the deer menu.

🌳Juglone resistant: These trees can be planted near Black Walnut trees.

🌞Sunlight: These trees have the best shape and coloration when grown in full sun (6-8 hours of direct sunlight).

💧Water: Be generous! These trees love water.

50'T 

Zone 5, cold hardy down to -20F.

💚Plant Nerd: According to the fossil record, these trees once had a much larger and more northerly range.

The resinous gums have a long history of usage, from herb-filled incense (a gift to a Spanish explorer from the Maya), to chewing gum, to herbal medicine.