Synonyms: American Sweetgum, Redgum, Sweetgum.
Sweet Gum is widely distributed, with a range from the Connecticut coast to the Guatemalan highlands. It grows mainly in bottomlands but also seeds into abandoned fields (Brown and Brown, 1972). Sweet Gum is very common on the Maryland Coastal Plain but uncommon in the Piedmont and west. It is fast growing and can become very large. It is often planted as an ornamental.
Note distinctive leaf shape and seed pods. Branchlets commonly have corky ridges. Leaves often turn bright red in autumn. The seed pods (capsules) are filled mostly with abortive seeds that resemble sawdust (Fernald, 1950). Empty fruits often remain on the tree all winter.
A fine, ancient specimen of Sweet Gum can be seen in the old-age Shell-Marl Ravine Forest at Chapman Forest North (Chapman State Park), Charles County, Maryland. Sweet Gum is co-dominant in some of the stands there (R. Simmons, pers. comm.).
Host plant to various moth species including Large Paectes Moth, Pygmy Paectes Moth, Imperial Moth, Luna Moth, Io Moth, Promethea Moth, Regal Moth, Cecropia Moth, Fall Webworm Moth, Banded Tussock Moth, Forest Tent Caterpillar Moth, Harris's Three-spotted Moth, and American Plum Borer (Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants).
The moth Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella creates distinctive leaf mines on the leaves of Sweetgum.
The fungus Sweet Gum Fruit Fungus (Xylaria liquidambaris) can be found on dropped, decaying Sweet Gum fruit.
There are 1,702 records in the project database.
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