Liquidambar styraciflua – Sweet gum

Characteristics: Broad-leaved deciduous tree with interesting corky-winged twigs and horned, woody seed ball. Seed is food for a variety of songbirds and wild turkey.

Flowers: inconspicuous yellow-green from April to May

Fruit: horned woody ball with many small seeds

Growth: 75 to 100 feet tall and 50 to 75 feet wide. Growth rate 1 to 2 feet per year

Shade: requires full sun

Habitat: forested seasonal wetlands to moist uplands

Hydrology: facultative wetland species (FAC), irregular to regular inundation, or saturated up to 75% of the growing season. Can tolerate infrequent flooding by water containing some salt.

Range: southern Connecticut to southern Illinois and Oklahoma, south to Florida and Mexico.

Comments: brilliant red to orange fall color.