Family: Altingiaceae
Common Name: sweet gum
Origin/Ecology: native to Mexico, Central America
Habit: Oval – vertical, pyramidal – widely. Open, stiffly upright.
Leaves: Usually 5 lobed, similar to some maples. Brilliant fall colours from purple to yellow. Palmate venation, heavily veined, glabrous, orbicular, serrate.
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Flowers and Fruit: Yellow racemes in March-May. Capsule fruit, black/brown, Sept-Aug, persistent.
Bark: Branches may have corky outgrowths.
Water Use, Soil: Acidic soils.
Exposure: Full sun. Intolerant of shade.
Landscape Uses: Fall interest, specimen plant, woodland margin, shade.
Limitations: No serious problems. Webworms, caterpillars, borers and scale, leaf spots, wood rot, bleeding necrosis, iron chlorosis. Fruit can cause litter problems. Weak, brittle trees. Sometimes central leader will snap off under weight of snow. Needs pruning for drooping branches.
Other Features: Leaves smell lemony, produces styrene, used to flavour tobacco. Leaf blade at 90 degrees from petiole.