Cornus alternifolia #3 (Pagoda Dogwood)
December 24, 2022Magnolia virginiana var australis ‘Perry Paige’ #3 (Sweet Thing™ Sweetbay Magnolia)
December 24, 2022Liquidambar styraciflua #3 (Sweetgum)
$36.99
-Part Sun, Full Sun
-Moist to Dry Soil (FACW)
-Slightly Acidic pH
-60-80′ Tall by 40-60′ Wide
-Pyramidal to Oval growth habit
-Inconspicuous Flowers in May
-Black Walnut, Salt tolerant
-Zone 5
-Medicinal Uses
-Ohio Native
Out of stock
Sweetgum is a lovely native shade tree with deep green, star-shaped leaves and a pyramidal habit. It has a medium to fast growth rate averaging 2-3′ in moist soil or 1-2′ in dry soil per year. Its preferences are for moist, deep and fertile soil in full sun with a slightly acidic pH, though it is adaptable to less than ideal conditions. This tree is monoecious with both male and female reproductive organs on the same plant. The flowers are not showy and are cross-pollinated by the wind.
Spherical spiky seed capsules hang from the tree from summer through winter, falling off throughout the fall and winter season. The long-lasting “gumballs” can be a bit of a litter problem if the tree is planted in a prominent place near the house, driveway or street and are not raked up. However, many songbirds, squirrels and chipmunks will eat the seeds during the lean winter months. Sweetgums are also host to 35 species* of Lepidoptera, including the caterpillars of the majestic Luna Moth. Come fall, these trees will consistently turn all of the fiery shades of autumn, making it one of the prettiest shade trees around.
Sources:
Native Trees, Shrubs, & Vines by William Cullina
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr
*Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees by Charlotte Adelman & Bernard L. Schwartz
Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs by Steven Foster and James A. Duke
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Illinois Wildflowers