Liquidambar Styraciflua

Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug

Trees, Native Plant, Shrub, Tree

Woody, Perennial

72-100 ft.

The Sweetgum has non-showy, monoecious, yellow-green flowers that appear in spherical clusters in April-May. Female flowers give way to the infamous gum balls.

Female flowers give way to a globose head (the infamous gum ball) which are hard, beak shaped, bristly fruiting capsules 1 to 3 inches in diameter appearing in August-September. Gum balls mature to dark brown and usually remain on the tree through the winter, but can create clean-up problems during the general period of December through April as the clusters fall to the ground. The capsules contain two tiny seeds (syncarp). The fruits persist through the winter and attract birds., Brown