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You're in Hardiness Zone 6 based on your postal code 43216.
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American Sweetgum

Picture of American Sweetgum
Picture of American Sweetgum
American Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua
American Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua
American Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua
American Sweetgum - Liquidambar styraciflua

American Sweetgum

Zones: 5 - 9
$59.99 Regular Price
Member Price: $49.99
Not a member? Join during checkout to save up to 33% on trees in our Tree Nursery with member pricing.
Bare Root or Potted?
Select an option for shipping dates

Guaranteed Healthy Delivery

When you order trees from The Arbor Day Foundation, your order is guaranteed to arrive in a good, healthy condition or we’ll replace them at no charge. Your trees will be shipped at a suitable time for planting. Each tree and plant is guaranteed to grow, or we’ll replace it within six months of shipment. See details for more information.

The American sweetgum — with its star-shaped leaves, neatly compact crown, interesting fruit, and twigs with unique corky growths called wings — is an attractive shade tree. It has become a prized specimen in parks, campuses, and large yards across the country.

  • Features glossy green star-shaped leaves throughout the summer
  • Produces beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red, and purple in the autumn
  • Keeps its fall leaves late into the season
  • Is native to North America
The American Sweetgum Grows in zones 5 - 9

Your Tree’s Personality

Shape

Oval

Growth Speed

Medium to Fast

Scientific Name

Liquidambar styraciflua

Mature Height

60' - 75'

Mature Spread

40' - 50'

Shipping Height

2' - 4'

Sun Preference

Full Sun

Soil Preference

Acidic, Clay, Drought, Loamy, Moist, Sandy, Well Drained, Wet

Wildlife Value

American sweetgum seeds are eaten by eastern goldfinches, purple finches, sparrows, mourning doves, northern bobwhites and wild turkeys. Small mammals such as chipmunks, red squirrels and gray squirrels also enjoy the fruits and seeds.

History/Lore

The Sweetgum tree is native to the southeastern United States and a member of a genus made up of only six species. The others are found only in Asia. The first historical reference to the tree comes from the author and soldier, Don Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who accompanied Cortez in 1519 and was a witness to ceremonies between Cortez and Montezuma, who both partook of a liquid amber extracted from a sweetgum tree. The tree itself was first noticed and recorded by the historian Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in 1542. Once commercially popular for soaps, adhesives and pharmaceuticals, today its wood is valuable for fine furniture and interior finishing.

Planting Instructions



Bare-Root Tree

Bare-root trees are shipped without soil around their roots. They are shipped when dormant (sleep state). In this dormant state, deciduous trees may display small buds but not leaves. Roots will come coated in a hydrating gel. Bare-root trees require more attention and care initially to ensure they remain properly watered and protected from extreme weather conditions.

Benefits:
  • Cost-effective
  • Roots re-establish quickly once planted, meaning growth will begin faster
  • Easy to plant at the correct depth
Potted Tree

Potted trees are available in a variety of sizes. Because the roots are packed in soil, the trees do not need to be dormant for shipping. Potted trees often have a more established appearance with leaves and foliage, providing an immediate visual impact on the landscape.

Benefits:
  • Reduced transplant shock
  • Extended shipping/planting season
  • Higher survivability
Which Tree is Right for Me?

With the option of ordering either standard or semi-dwarf trees and either bare-root or potted, be sure to consider the benefits of each option when deciding which is best for you.

Standard Height

Benefits:
  • Also functions as a shade tree
  • Can be planted farther from compatible pollinator
  • Fills a larger space

Semi-Dwarf Height

Benefits:
  • Easier to harvest fruit
  • Bears fruit sooner
  • Fits in a smaller space

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