Hamamelidaceae Trees of Alabama and the Southeast Home Page sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Hamamelidaceae Leaves are simple, alternate, deciduous, star-shaped and toothed. Young twigs are brown to green and twigs often have corky projections.
Fruit is a spiny ball containing many capsules.
Bark is gray to dark brown becoming ridged with age. Sweetgum is intolerant of shade and is found on a variety of sites in the south. This species reproduces aggressively through seed production and root sprouting. Click on photo to enlarge. All text and photographs are intended for educational purposes only and are not for commercial use in any form.