58-527: Liquidambar , commonly called sweetgum ( star gum in the UK), gum , redgum , satin-walnut , styrax or American storax , is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. They were formerly often treated as a part of the Hamamelidaceae . They are native to southeast and east Asia, the eastern Mediterranean and North America. They are decorative deciduous trees that are used in
116-406: A 6–10 cm ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 –4 in) petiole. The rich dark green, smooth, shiny, star-shaped leaves generally turn brilliant yellow, orange, red, and purple colors in the autumn. This autumnal coloring has been characterized as not simply a flame, but a conflagration. Its reds and yellows compare to those of the maples ( Acer ), and in addition it has the dark purples and smoky browns of
174-2041: A molecular phylogeny of plants placed the flowering plants in their evolutionary context: Bryophytes [REDACTED] Lycophytes [REDACTED] Ferns [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The main groups of living angiosperms are: Amborellales [REDACTED] 1 sp. New Caledonia shrub Nymphaeales [REDACTED] c. 80 spp. water lilies & allies Austrobaileyales [REDACTED] c. 100 spp. woody plants Magnoliids [REDACTED] c. 10,000 spp. 3-part flowers, 1-pore pollen, usu. branch-veined leaves Chloranthales [REDACTED] 77 spp. Woody, apetalous Monocots [REDACTED] c. 70,000 spp. 3-part flowers, 1 cotyledon , 1-pore pollen, usu. parallel-veined leaves Ceratophyllales [REDACTED] c. 6 spp. aquatic plants Eudicots [REDACTED] c. 175,000 spp. 4- or 5-part flowers, 3-pore pollen, usu. branch-veined leaves Amborellales Melikyan, Bobrov & Zaytzeva 1999 Nymphaeales Salisbury ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Austrobaileyales Takhtajan ex Reveal 1992 Chloranthales Mart. 1835 Canellales Cronquist 1957 Piperales von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Magnoliales de Jussieu ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Laurales de Jussieu ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Acorales Link 1835 Alismatales Brown ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Petrosaviales Takhtajan 1997 Dioscoreales Brown 1835 Pandanales Brown ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Liliales Perleb 1826 Asparagales Link 1829 Arecales Bromhead 1840 Poales Small 1903 Zingiberales Grisebach 1854 Commelinales de Mirbel ex von Berchtold & Presl 1820 Liquidambar styraciflua American sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ), also known as American storax , hazel pine , bilsted , redgum , satin-walnut , star-leaved gum , alligatorwood , gumball tree , or simply sweetgum ,
232-442: A woody stem ), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of broad-leaved trees , shrubs and vines , and most aquatic plants . Angiosperms are distinguished from the other major seed plant clade, the gymnosperms , by having flowers , xylem consisting of vessel elements instead of tracheids , endosperm within their seeds, and fruits that completely envelop the seeds. The ancestors of flowering plants diverged from
290-553: A span long filled with dried herbs and sweet-smelling liquid amber which, when lighted in the way shown by the natives, diffused an agreeable odour." The species was introduced into Europe in 1681 by John Banister , the missionary collector sent out by Bishop Compton , who planted it in the palace gardens at Fulham in London , England . An ancestor of Liquidambar styraciflua is known from Tertiary -aged fossils in Alaska , Greenland , and
348-610: A total of 64 angiosperm orders and 416 families. The diversity of flowering plants is not evenly distributed. Nearly all species belong to the eudicot (75%), monocot (23%), and magnoliid (2%) clades. The remaining five clades contain a little over 250 species in total; i.e. less than 0.1% of flowering plant diversity, divided among nine families. The 25 most species-rich of 443 families, containing over 166,000 species between them in their APG circumscriptions, are: The botanical term "angiosperm", from Greek words angeíon ( ἀγγεῖον 'bottle, vessel') and spérma ( σπέρμα 'seed'),
406-858: Is starting to impact plants and is likely to cause many species to become extinct by 2100. Angiosperms are terrestrial vascular plants; like the gymnosperms, they have roots , stems , leaves , and seeds . They differ from other seed plants in several ways. The largest angiosperms are Eucalyptus gum trees of Australia, and Shorea faguetiana , dipterocarp rainforest trees of Southeast Asia, both of which can reach almost 100 metres (330 ft) in height. The smallest are Wolffia duckweeds which float on freshwater, each plant less than 2 millimetres (0.08 in) across. Considering their method of obtaining energy, some 99% of flowering plants are photosynthetic autotrophs , deriving their energy from sunlight and using it to create molecules such as sugars . The remainder are parasitic , whether on fungi like
464-456: Is a deciduous tree in the genus Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central America . Sweetgum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern United States , and is a popular ornamental tree in temperate climates . It is recognizable by the combination of its five-pointed star-shaped leaves (similar to maple leaves) and its hard, spiked fruits. It
522-419: Is a symmetrical shape and crowns into an egg shape when the branches get too heavy after its first two years of cultivation. Another distinctive feature of the tree is the peculiar appearance of its small branches and twigs. The bark attaches itself to these in plates edgewise instead of laterally, and a piece of the leafless branch with the aid of a little imagination readily takes on a reptilian form; indeed,
580-584: Is also used for veneer for plywood . The wood is very compact and fine-grained, the heartwood being reddish, and, when cut into planks, marked transversely with blackish belts. Sweetgum is used principally for lumber, veneer, plywood, slack cooperage, fuel, and pulpwood. The lumber is made into boxes and crates, furniture, cabinets for radios, televisions, and phonographs, interior trim, and millwork . The veneer and plywood, (typically backed with some other kind of wood which shrinks and warps less) are used for boxes, pallets, crates, baskets, and interior woodwork. It
638-491: Is an old generic name meaning 'flowing with storax' (a plant resin). The name " storax " has long been confusingly applied to the aromatic gum or resin of this species, that of L. orientalis of Turkey, and to the resin better known as benzoin from various tropical trees in the genus Styrax . The sweetgum has a Nahuatl name, Ocotzocuahuitl , which translates to 'tree that gives pine resin' from ocotl ('pine'), tzotl ('resin'), cuahuitl ('tree'), which refers to
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#1732892121529696-639: Is banned in some places for this reason. In abundance, they can leave a lawn lumpy. The winter buds are yellow brown, 6 mm ( 1 ⁄ 4 in) long, acute. The inner scales enlarge with the growing shoot, becoming 13 mm ( 1 ⁄ 2 in) long, green tipped with red. Sweetgum is one of the most common hardwoods in the southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States , where it occurs naturally in lowlands from southwestern Connecticut south to central Florida , through central Ohio and west to Illinois , southern Missouri , and eastern Texas , but not colder highland areas of Appalachia or
754-828: Is classified as hardwood . At higher latitudes, Liquidambars are among the last of trees to leaf out in the spring, and also among the last of trees to drop its leaves in the fall/autumn, turning multiple colors. Fall/autumn colors are most brilliant where nights are chilly, but some cultivars color well in warm climates. Species within this genus are native to Southeast and east Asia, the western Mediterranean, and eastern North America. Countries and regions in which they occur are: Indonesia ( Nusa Tenggara , Java , Sumatra ); Malaysia ( Peninsular Malaysia ); Thailand; Cambodia ; Vietnam; China (including Tibet , Fujian , Guizhou , Hainan , Yunnan , Zhejiang ), Taiwan, South Korea, Laos , Myanmar , Bhutan, Turkey, Greece ( Rhodes ), Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, and
812-495: Is currently classified in the plant family Altingiaceae , but was formerly considered a member of the Hamamelidaceae . This plant's genus name Liquidambar was first given by Linnaeus in 1753 from the Latin liquidus ('fluid') and the Arabic ambar ('amber'), in allusion to the fragrant terebinthine juice or gum which exudes from the tree. Its specific epithet styraciflua
870-461: Is grayish and vertically grooved. The flowers are small, produced in a dense globular inflorescence 1–2 centimetres (0.39–0.79 in) diameter, pendulous on a 3–7 centimetres (1.2–2.8 in) stem. The fruit is a woody multiple capsule 2–4 centimetres (0.79–1.57 in) in diameter (popularly called a "gumball"), containing numerous seeds and covered in numerous prickly, woody armatures, possibly to attach to fur of animals. The woody biomass
928-428: Is hard, dry, and globose, 25–40 mm (1– 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) in diameter, composed of numerous (40–60) capsules . Each capsule, containing one to two small seeds , has a pair of terminal spikes (for a total of 80–120 spikes). When the fruit opens and the seeds are released, each capsule is associated with a small hole (40–60 of these) in the compound fruit. Fallen, opened fruits are often abundant beneath
986-564: Is low. Also, the American sweetgum tree does not grow well in shady areas. Grown as an ornamental tree in Australia, Liquidambar styraciflua has a distribution on mainland Australia from southwestern Western Australia , southern South Australia , New South Wales , Victoria , and all the way up to the Atherton Tablelands in far North Queensland . During the late 1970s and throughout
1044-476: Is truncate or slightly heart-shaped. They come out of the bud plicate, downy, pale green, when full grown are bright green, smooth, shining above, paler beneath. They contain tannin and when bruised give a resinous fragrance. While the starry five-pointed leaves of Liquidambar resemble those of some maples ( Acer ), Liquidambar is easily distinguished from Acer by its glossy, leathery leaves that are positioned singly ( alternate ), not in pairs (opposite) on
1102-437: Is used for furniture, interior finish, paper pulp, veneers and baskets of all kinds. The heartwood once was used in furniture, sometimes as imitation mahogany or Circassian walnut . It is used widely today in flake and strand boards . Sweetgum is a foodplant for various caterpillars . The American sweetgum is widely planted as an ornamental, within its natural range and elsewhere. The hardened sap, or gum resin, excreted from
1160-485: The Alismatales grow in marine environments, spreading with rhizomes that grow through the mud in sheltered coastal waters. Some specialised angiosperms are able to flourish in extremely acid or alkaline habitats. The sundews , many of which live in nutrient-poor acid bogs , are carnivorous plants , able to derive nutrients such as nitrate from the bodies of trapped insects. Other flowers such as Gentiana verna ,
1218-606: The Midwestern states . The species also occurs in Mexico from southern Nuevo León south to Chiapas , as well as in Guatemala , El Salvador , Belize , Nicaragua and Honduras . In Mexico and Central America , it is a characteristic plant of cloud forests , growing at middle elevations in various mountainous areas where the climate is humid and more temperate. The US government distribution maps for this species are incorrect concerning
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#17328921215291276-502: The Tertiary , but has disappeared from Europe due to extensive glaciation in the north and the east–west oriented Alps and Pyrenees , which have served as a blockade against southward migration. It has also disappeared from western North America due to climate change, and also from the unglaciated (but nowadays too cold) Russian Far East . There are several fossil species of Liquidambar , showing its relict status today. The wood
1334-400: The ash ( Fraxinus ). However, in the northern part of its range, and where planted in yet colder areas, the leaves are often killed by frost while still green. On the other hand, in the extreme southern or tropical parts of its range, some trees are evergreen or semi-evergreen, with negligible fall color. The leaves are 8–18 cm (3–7 in) broad with glandular serrate teeth. The base
1392-580: The clade Angiospermae ( / ˌ æ n dʒ i ə ˈ s p ər m iː / ). The term 'angiosperm' is derived from the Greek words ἀγγεῖον / angeion ('container, vessel') and σπέρμα / sperma ('seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit. The group was formerly called Magnoliophyta . Angiosperms are by far the most diverse group of land plants with 64 orders , 416 families , approximately 13,000 known genera and 300,000 known species . They include all forbs (flowering plants without
1450-503: The heartwood ; it is heavy, straight, satiny, and close-grained, but not strong. It takes a beautiful polish, but warps badly in drying. The wood has a specific gravity of 0.5910. It is too liable to decay for outdoor use. In the carpentry industry, the timber is referred to as satin walnut and is one of the most important materials for plywood manufacturers. It is used for furniture, interior trim, railroad ties , cigar boxes , crates, flooring , barrels, woodenware, and wood pulp. It
1508-460: The orchids for part or all of their life-cycle, or on other plants , either wholly like the broomrapes, Orobanche , or partially like the witchweeds, Striga . In terms of their environment, flowering plants are cosmopolitan, occupying a wide range of habitats on land, in fresh water and in the sea. On land, they are the dominant plant group in every habitat except for frigid moss-lichen tundra and coniferous forest . The seagrasses in
1566-883: The "Big Five" extinction events in Earth's history, only the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event had occurred while angiosperms dominated plant life on the planet. Today, the Holocene extinction affects all kingdoms of complex life on Earth, and conservation measures are necessary to protect plants in their habitats in the wild ( in situ ), or failing that, ex situ in seed banks or artificial habitats like botanic gardens . Otherwise, around 40% of plant species may become extinct due to human actions such as habitat destruction , introduction of invasive species , unsustainable logging , land clearing and overharvesting of medicinal or ornamental plants . Further, climate change
1624-531: The 1980s, Sweetgums were a popular landscaping and street tree. Three varieties, Palo Alto , Festival , and Burgundy , introduced in the late 1950s by the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation in Palo Alto, California became popular in the urban landscapes of California because of their pleasing appearance, striking fall colors, and ability to grow quickly and thrive; however, as the trees matured,
1682-523: The Materia Medica, by Chen Cangqi, in 720 AD. Bitter in taste, aromatic, and neutral in temperature, lu lu tong is claimed to promote the movement of blood and qi , water metabolism and urination, expels wind, and unblocks the channels. It is supposedly an ingredient in formulas for epigastric distention or abdominal pain, anemia, irregular or scanty menstruation, low back or knee pain and stiffness, edema with difficult urination, or nasal congestion. In
1740-696: The September 11th Memorial in New York donated a grove of sweetgum trees to the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The imperfect fungus Dicarpella dryina Sutton is a leaf parasite reported to occur on a wide range of host plants, including species of sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua L. ). Limber and Cash reported that leaf spots produced by this pathogen on several different genera of forest trees were 2–5 mm diameter with regular margins. During
1798-420: The bark of the tree when wounded. It has many names, including liquid amber or copalm balsam . It is a kind of native balsam, or resin, resembling turpentine . It may be clear, reddish, or yellow, with a pleasant smell like ambergris . As the resin ages, it solidifies, the form in which it was historically exported in barrels. The resin is produced by stripping, boiling, and pressing the tree's bark. The gum
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1856-547: The common ancestor of all living gymnosperms before the end of the Carboniferous , over 300 million years ago. In the Cretaceous , angiosperms diversified explosively , becoming the dominant group of plants across the planet. Agriculture is almost entirely dependent on angiosperms, and a small number of flowering plant families supply nearly all plant-based food and livestock feed. Rice , maize and wheat provide half of
1914-407: The damage caused by surface roots and the increased production of seed balls led to the tree being considered a nuisance and a liability. Thousands of trees would be removed and repairs had to be conducted on nearby structures damaged by roots. The Western Arborist published a study that concluded that Sweetgums accounted for the greatest number of trees causing damage; in the city of Alameda alone it
1972-661: The disease red leaf spot. Results of this investigation indicate that D. dryina can penetrate leaf tissue directly, thus having the ability to initiate infection on both upper and lower leaf surfaces. In other regions of the U.S., sweetgum populations may not be as susceptible to local populations of this fungus. Environmental stress factors may also be involved, as reports have indicated that herbicide application and chlorosis caused by iron deficiency may increase susceptibility of D. dryina . Tannins (a type of biomolecule found in trees to protect it from fire, insects, and bacteria) have been reported to occur in healthy tissue of
2030-508: The eastern United States (from Texas to Connecticut). It is regarded as an artificially introduced species in India, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. In cultivation, they can be seen in warm temperate and subtropical climates around the world. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary (age range: 99.7 to 0.781 million years ago). The genus was much more widespread in
2088-543: The fall/autumn, the trees drop their hard, spiky seedpods by the hundreds, which can become a serious nuisance on pavements and lawns. Some US cities have expedited permits to remove sweetgum trees. In Louisiana folklore, a sharpened stick from this tree can be used to wound a cryptid known as the Parlangua (a hybrid of man and alligator). Flowering plant Basal angiosperms Core angiosperms Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits , and form
2146-635: The flowering plants as an unranked clade without a formal Latin name (angiosperms). A formal classification was published alongside the 2009 revision in which the flowering plants rank as the subclass Magnoliidae. From 1998, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) has reclassified the angiosperms, with updates in the APG II system in 2003, the APG III system in 2009, and the APG IV system in 2016. In 2019,
2204-518: The manner of vines or lianas . The number of species of flowering plants is estimated to be in the range of 250,000 to 400,000. This compares to around 12,000 species of moss and 11,000 species of pteridophytes . The APG system seeks to determine the number of families , mostly by molecular phylogenetics . In the 2009 APG III there were 415 families. The 2016 APG IV added five new orders (Boraginales, Dilleniales, Icacinales, Metteniusales and Vahliales), along with some new families, for
2262-559: The mid-continental plateau of North America, much further north than Liquidambar now grows. A similar plant is also found in Miocene deposits of the Tertiary of Europe. Liquidambar styraciflua is a medium-sized to large tree, growing anywhere from 15–20 m (50–70 ft) in cultivation and up to 45 m (150 ft) in the wild, with a trunk up 60–90 cm (2–3 ft) in diameter, on average. Trees may live to 400 years. The tree
2320-485: The pistillate in a solitary head on a slender peduncle borne in the axil of an upper leaf. Staminate flowers destitute of calyx and corolla, but are surrounded by hairy bracts. Stamens indefinite; filaments short; anthers introrse. Pistillate flowers with a two-celled, two-beaked ovary, the carpels produced into a long, recurved, persistent style. The ovaries all more or less cohere and harden in fruit. There are many ovules but few mature. The distinctive compound fruit
2378-518: The seeds of the tree. The seeds stratify within 30–90 days at 1–5 °C (33–41 °F) or soaked in water for 15–20 days. The long-stemmed fruit balls of Liquidambar resemble those of the American sycamore or buttonwood ( Platanus occidentalis ), but are spiny and remain intact after their seeds are dispersed; the softer fruits of Platanus disintegrate upon seed dispersal. The long-persisting fallen spiked fruits can be unpleasant to walk on; sweet gum
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2436-587: The southern limit of distribution in Florida. This species occurs abundantly at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring , Highlands County, Florida , and even southwest of Lake Okeechobee . Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is one of the most important commercial hardwoods in the Southeastern United States . Its wood is bright reddish brown (with the sapwood nearly white) and may have black grain in
2494-500: The species as a large tree producing a fragrant gum resembling liquid amber, whence the genus name Liquidambar. In John Ray 's Historia Plantarum (1686) it is called Styrax liquida . However, the first mention of any use of the amber is described by Juan de Grijalva, the nephew of the governor of Cuba, in the year 1517. Juan de Grijalva tells of gift exchanges with the Mayas "who presented them with, among other things, hollow reeds of about
2552-470: The species has a drawback—the branches may have ridges or "wings" that cause more surface area, increasing weight of snow and ice accumulation on the tree. However, the wood is heavy and hard with an interlocking grain, but is difficult to season. The leaves usually have five (but sometimes three or seven) sharply pointed palmate lobes. They are 8–13 cm (3–5 in) wide on average and have three distinct bundle scars. They are long and broad, with
2610-568: The spring gentian, are adapted to the alkaline conditions found on calcium -rich chalk and limestone , which give rise to often dry topographies such as limestone pavement . As for their growth habit , the flowering plants range from small, soft herbaceous plants , often living as annuals or biennials that set seed and die after one growing season, to large perennial woody trees that may live for many centuries and grow to many metres in height. Some species grow tall without being self-supporting like trees by climbing on other plants in
2668-419: The stems. Luna and promethea moth caterpillars feed on the leaves. The flowers typically appear in spring and persist into autumn/fall, sometimes persisting into winter. They are typically about 25–40 mm (1– 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) in diameter and are covered with rusty hairs. The flowers are unisexual and greenish in color. Staminate flowers in terminal racemes 5–8 cm (2–3 in) long,
2726-530: The summer of 1994 in the Nacogdoches County area of Texas, a prominent leaf spot on sweetgum was widespread. Infected leaves had numerous necrotic lesions , each surrounded by a reddish halo. The lesions tended to merge resulting in large areas of dead tissue. Infection and fungal development of D. dryina were investigated on leaves of sweetgum using a combination of microscopic techniques. D. dryina infection on sweetgum has been associated with
2784-423: The tree is sometimes called "alligatorwood". The bark is a light brown tinged with red and sometimes gray with dark streaks and has a density of 590 kg/m (37 lb/cu ft). It is deeply fissured with scaly ridges. The branches carry layers of cork. The branchlets are pithy, many-angled, winged, and at first covered with rusty hairs, finally becoming red brown, gray or dark brown. As an ornamental tree,
2842-472: The trees; these have been popularly nicknamed "burr (or bir) balls", "gum balls", "space bugs", "sticker balls", "spike balls", or "monkey balls". The fruit is a multicapsular spherical head and hangs on the branches during the winter. The woody capsules are mostly filled with abortive seeds resembling sawdust. The seeds are about 6 mm ( 1 ⁄ 4 in) thick, winged, and wind-dispersed. Goldfinches, purple finches, squirrels, and chipmunks eat
2900-475: The use of the tree's resin. The common name "sweetgum" refers to the species' "sweetish gum", contrasting with the blackgum ( Nyssa sylvatica ) , only distantly related, with which the sweetgum overlaps broadly in range. The species is also known as the "redgum", for its reddish bark. The earliest known published record of Liquidambar styraciflua is in a work by Spanish naturalist Francisco Hernández published posthumously in 1615, in which he describes
2958-514: The wood industry and for ornamental purposes. Both the scientific and common names refer to the sweet resinous sap ( liquid amber ) exuded by the trunk when cut. They are all large, deciduous trees, 25–40 m (82–131 ft) tall, with palmately 3- to 7-lobed leaves arranged spirally on the stems and length of 12.5 to 20 centimetres (4.9 to 7.9 in), having a pleasant aroma when crushed. Their leaves can be many colors such as bright red, orange, yellow, and even purple. Mature bark
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#17328921215293016-554: The world's staple calorie intake, and all three plants are cereals from the Poaceae family (colloquially known as grasses). Other families provide important industrial plant products such as wood , paper and cotton , and supply numerous ingredients for beverages , sugar production , traditional medicine and modern pharmaceuticals . Flowering plants are also commonly grown for decorative purposes , with certain flowers playing significant cultural roles in many societies. Out of
3074-458: The world, including moderately high elevations in the tropics. It is highly regarded in Bogota , Colombia . The species grows best in moist, acidic loam or clay soil, and tolerates poor drainage. It typically grows with other coastal plain species such as willow oak and sweetbay magnolia . Its salt tolerance is moderate. Chlorosis can develop on alkaline soil, especially where organic matter
3132-637: The wounds of the sweetgum, for example, the American sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ), can be chewed on like chewing gum and has been long used for this purpose in the Southern United States . The sap was also believed to be a cure for sciatica , weakness of nerves, etc. In Traditional Chinese medicine , lu lu tong , or "all roads open," is the hard, spiky fruit of native sweetgum species. It first appeared in Chinese medical literature in Omissions from
3190-483: Was coined in the form "Angiospermae" by Paul Hermann in 1690, including only flowering plants whose seeds were enclosed in capsules. The term angiosperm fundamentally changed in meaning in 1827 with Robert Brown , when angiosperm came to mean a seed plant with enclosed ovules. In 1851, with Wilhelm Hofmeister 's work on embryo-sacs, Angiosperm came to have its modern meaning of all the flowering plants including Dicotyledons and Monocotyledons. The APG system treats
3248-512: Was formerly used in the interior finish of railroad sleeping cars . Being readily dyed black, it is sometimes substituted for ebony for such uses as inexpensive picture frames . The wood is also used to make chopsticks for the East Asian market, as it has a naturally light color with appeal to certain segments of the Asian market. The tree's gum resin , for which the tree is named, exudes from
3306-503: Was found that 69% of Liquidambars planted in the city were either damaging or beginning to damage nearby structures. It is now recommended that the trees be planted at least 15 to 20 feet from structures and that they should not be used as street trees. Among the many cultivars of Liquidambar styraciflua are (those marked agm have gained the Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit ): The organizers of
3364-551: Was used both medicinally and to make chewing gum . L. styraciflua seeds may be a renewable source of shikimic acid . Traditionally, sweet gum has been used in Chinese medicine to treat issues such as diarrhea , coughs, and skin sores . Liquidambar styraciflua is a popular ornamental and forestal tree, cultivated for its distinctive foliage and intense autumn colors. It is commonly grown throughout its native North American range as well as many other temperate parts of
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