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colorful fall leaves of rhus aromatica
Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Lo’ (Fragrant Sumac) Photo © Mary Free
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Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum)

Male and female (suspended as a single, spherical mass) flowers of native Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum).
Palmately lobed leaves of native Liquidambar styraciflua
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum) fruit in November.
Eastern gray squirrel on Liquidambar styraciflua
The corky-winged branches of Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum) in February.

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Liquidambar styraciflua Tried and True Native Plant Selections Sweetgum for the Mid-Atlantic Prevalent in the southeast,* this low maintenance tree is prized for its timber. Its common name derives from sweet, gummy, aromatic sap with compounds used in traditional and modern medicine. It has distinctive star-shaped leaves and prickly seed balls that drop and litter the ground fall to spring. Tree Trees, Flowers,** Twigs & Fruit,*** Fall Foliage Height: 60–90 feet Spread: 50–75 feet Bloom Color: Yellow-green tinged with red Characteristics Monoecious, straight-trunked deciduous tree with pyramid-shaped crown becoming rounded with age Alternate, simple, palmate, glossy green leaves with pointed, star-shaped lobes & finely toothed margins Flowers w/o perianths in ball-like clusters early spring Woody ball of green, 2-beaked, septicidal capsules (with 1–2 apically-winged seeds) in July that ripen to brown; dehisced capsules may persist into March Superb fall foliage: yellows, oranges, reds, purples Twigs often form scaly, corky wings hence nick- name alligatorwood; mature bark deeply furrowed Attributes Tolerates clay, short-duration flooding, rabbits, but not alkaline soil; rapid-growing, long-lived, adaptable No serious pests or diseases; deer occasionally severely damage Ethnobotanic uses; leaves fragrant when crushed Provides cover, nesting sites, and food for songbirds and small mammals; larval host for some moths Growing and Maintenance Tips Soil Requirements: Acidic, well-drained soil Excellent Replacement for Acer platanoides - Norway Maple Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Ailanthus altissima - Tree of Heaven Water Requirements: Moist, Wet Locate away from foot traffic; mulch to drip line so fruits fall in bed below and eventually turn to mulch *It is native to DC and common in DE. It is found mostly in extreme southeast PA and the Coastal Plain and outer Piedmont of MD. In VA it is common in the Coastal Plain and outer Piedmont, becoming infrequent to rare in the inner and far northern Piedmont, and disjunct across the Blue Ridge. It is native to NoVA. ** Staminate inflorescence grows upright in a terminal raceme. Solitary globose head of pistillate flowers droops on long peduncle. ***Depicts green fruit and alate twigs in August and mature fruit in December. Trees must be 20–30 years old to produce fruit. Use in large, open landscapes or lawns Hardiness: USDA Zones 5b–9 developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Elaine Mills and Mary Free (middle row), Glencarlyn Library Garden

Tried and True Native Plant Selections
for the Mid-Atlantic 

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Liquidambar styraciflua (Seetgum)

Prevalent in the southeast,* this low maintenance tree is prized for its timber. Its common name derives from sweet, gummy, aromatic sap with compounds used in traditional and modern medicine. It has distinctive star-shaped leaves and prickly seed balls that drop and litter the ground fall to spring.

*It is native to DC and common in DE. It is found mostly in extreme southeast PA and the Coastal Plain and outer Piedmont of MD. In VA it is common in the Coastal Plain and outer Piedmont, becoming infrequent to rare in the inner and far northern Piedmont, and disjunct across the Blue Ridge. It is native to NoVA.

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets