Also called the American sweetgum tree , the gumball tree ( Liquidambar styraciflua ) is a native tree diagram . Gumball delineate the rotund fruits , and sweetgum describes the fragrant rosin that oozes from barque wounds .
Although it would be a botanical phenomenon if sweet and chewy gumballs grew on a tree , that ’s not what gives the " gumball tree " one of its vulgar names . More commonly called American sweetgum tree , Liquidambar styracifluais the North American aboriginal species in this genus , with its aboriginal home ground originating in the Eastern United States and Mexico .
It ’s a phallus of the Altingiaceae industrial plant family , formerly sort in the Hamamelidaceae family , and a perennial in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9 , where it litters landscape with its spiky round fruits foretell " gumballs " ( from sweet " gum " ) .
Tip
Numerous outstanding gadget characteristic of this tree override its landscape painting bedding material problem , but plant procreation has produced a fruitless cultivar for gardener who do n’t want to take the air on ankle - twisting gumballs .
Gumball Tree Name
The uncouth name " sweetgum " refers to the aromatic gluey resin that exudes from lesion on the tree diagram . In times preceding , this sticky substance was used as a forerunner to our modern - day chewing chewing gum , although the discussion " gumball " relate to the tree ’s orbicular fruits . The Gumball cultivar of the species , Liquidambar styraciflua’Gumball , ' is so - named not only because of the familiar orotund fruits but also because of its shape . It ’s a dwarf translation of the mintage that grows only 6 metrical unit tall and wide with a perfectly rounded shape .
Gumball Tree Characteristics
Sweetgum trees are n’t suitable for all locations , but they ’re stellar landscape specimens in the right spot . A full sun to partial tincture site that can accommodate a mature likely summit up to 120 feet , off from walkways where the sweetgum balls litter the priming and hardscapes , and where roots may clasp sidewalks and damage driveway , is good for sweetgum .
Size
Sweetgum is a tumid tree diagram with a potential mature tiptop of 120 feet , although elevation between 60 and 100 feet with 40- to 50 - foot widths are more common .
Growth Habit and Growth Rate
Sweetgum has a pyramidal to distribute growth drug abuse . The maturation rate of these Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is speedy , with newfangled ontogeny adding 24 to 36 inches per twelvemonth to a tree diagram ’s height .
Bark
Maturing gumball tree break bark that ’s markedly furrowed and irregularly shaped , giving it another unwashed name of alligatorwood . twig and subdivision have characteristic corky ridge , which are not to be mistaken for a increase abnormality or disease .
Wood
Only oak tree ( Quercusspp . ) rank higher in wood production for hardwood than sweetgum . sonorous , hard and tightly grained characterize sweetgum ’s woodwind , which is used for baseball bat , plywood , article of furniture and other woodworking applications .
Leaves
Large palmate sweetgum leaves , which are 4 " to 8 " inches in diameter , have five to seven clearly separate lobes . When bruise or crushed , the dark green leaves are fragrant .
Gumball tree diagram are deciduous trees , losing their leaves in autumn after a brilliant fall color show that may include shade of yellow , orangish , purple or red .
Flowers
As a monoicous tree , sweetgum has manful and distaff reproductive social structure on each tree diagram . flower appear in April to May , and fecundate female flowers get down to dilate and harden as they form the placeable yield called gumballs .
The green - yellowed efflorescence are insignificant and tend to take form on upper offshoot , so you ’ll probably never even comment them .
Fruit
fruit ab initio are unripe but mature to brown , and many may persist on the tree during winter — although they ’ll set about drop as betimes as December and will continue to fall through April . Each round , spiny gumball fruit is 1 to 3 inches in diam and is make up of 40 to 60 ejector seat , each of which contains one or two sweetgum germ .
An elision to the yield - bearing species is fruitless sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua’Rotundiloba , ' zones 6 to 9 ) . It produces virtually no messy gumball fruit .
Roots
Most of sweetgum ’s antecedent system is shallow if Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are sited on dampish soil , although there may also be some mystifying taproots if the grunge is dry . The shallow ascendant are strong and belligerent , which is why tree diagram should be sited away from pavement and driveways where the ascendent system may clasp or rescind these hardscapes .
On the positive side , sweetgum ’s roots fix nitrogen , which promotes sound soil for nearby flora .
Wildlife Value
Sweetgum is a boniface works for sure Caterpillar , let in the imperial moth ( Eacles imperialis ) larvae and hickory horndevil moth ( Citheronia regalis ) larvae .
Gumball seed allow a wintertime solid food author for many birds , let in the American goldfinch ( Carduelis tristis ) and purple finch ( Carpodacus purpureus ) , as well as other wildlife including squirrels and chipmunk .
