22. American Sweet Gum

Common Name – American Sweet Gum

Latin Name - Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’

Height -   9 to 15 Metres               Spread – 7.5 to 12 Metres

Commonly known as the ‘Sweet Gum’ tree; this specimen is a particular delight in autumn when its leaves turn through a spectrum of colour’s from yellow to orange and finally to a claret red. Uniquely, this tree originates from the swampy regions of Eastern America, but as adopted well to the climate of the British Isles.

The tree is a deciduous tree with a pyramidal habit, with palmate leaves similar to other Maple trees and as a furrowed corky bark. In mid to late spring the tree produces inconspicuous clusters of yellow-green flowers, followed by bristly gum balls 25mm in diameter.    

Whilst in Britain this is not a commercially viable tree for hardwood timber production, in the United States the tree is widely used for this purpose. To some the timber is referred to as ‘Satin Walnut’ and is used to make plywood. As such, the timber has many purposes and is used to make furniture, used for producing interior trim on housing and to make many kinds of crates and barrels. In Eastern Asia the wood is also used to make ‘Chopsticks’. Given its name of the ‘Sweet Gum’ tree, the resin extruded from it’s as long been medicinally used and to make chewing gum.