Fall Leaves. Politique d'Utilisation des Cookies de Houzz. Many of us are familiar with the fruit of red maple, but perhaps just didnt know what tree it came from. What are the differences between maple trees and sweetgums? By using leaves with high lignin levels, you can actually end up with less nitrogen in your soil. American sweetgum seeds are eaten by eastern goldfinches, purple finches, sparrows, mourning doves, northern bobwhites and wild turkeys. Thursday: 10 a.m. 5 p.m. The bark on maple trees starts smooth and gray before developing fissures and furrows. If you look upwards and see layer upon layer of vibrant green suspended stars you may have found a Sweet Gum Tree, scientifically known as Liquidambar styraciflua. Opposite being that you would end up with several horizontal lines. En cliquant sur Accepter , j'accepte l'utilisation des cookies telle qu'elle est dcrite plus en dtail dans la Politique d'Utilisation des Cookies de Houzz. Here is a link that might be useful: Invasive sweetgum. Once commercially popular for soaps, adhesives and pharmaceuticals, today its wood is valuable for fine furniture and interior finishing. When you take any plant identification class you will learn about the concept of leaf arrangement, the way leaves are situated on the plant. . Both male flowers and female flowers occur on the same tree, appearing as the leaves emerge in the Spring. Location: upcountry SC-- Sweetgum capital of the world! Fall color can be quite dramatic, with a combination of yellows, reds, and . "Liquidambar Styraciflua L." Southern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service. Maples have samoras, flat wingshaped seeds that many people call "helicopter" seeds, cause of the way they drop thru the air. 7. Sweetgum leaves are palmate, or flat and hand-shaped, with five or sometimes seven pointed lobes with serrated edges. imagelinks2[3]="https://www.youtube.com/c/TheForestryForum?sub_confirmation=1" 1, July 2017, p. 6323. Examining the leaves more closely can help you identify them. . ry=1 Even more, lignin has a significant impact to the nitrogen levels in your finished compost, and the soil you will use your compost in. Wholesale prices on frames. Sweetgum wood is used to make veneer, plywood, cabinets and furniture. Botanists place sweetgum in the witch hazel family, while oaks are assigned to the beech family. Really.I don't denigrate those who would plant them in their own yard, but I will answer questions like the one posed about the prominent above-ground roots without sugar-coating the issue - and I didn't even address the issue of the abominable prickly seed capsules.I will agree that in some areas they do have marvelous fall color - but I rarely see it on the ones that grow here. Pro: The wood has many uses, including flooring, lumber, and paper pulp among other things. From the leaf shape you might think it a maple, except that no maple can match the sweet odor. Sweet Gum trees present a long-lasting kaleidoscopic display in the . i don't read where lucky said directly that it is a bad tree for you -just a bad one for him. As for surface roots: Ours are almost 30 years old and, yes, there are some, but not awful, and the grass grows there. Like the sweetgum and the yellow-poplar, the sycamore has leaves that are alternate in arrangement. In winter, and all year round, for the most part, mature trees still have a few sweetgum balls hanging about the branches here and there. They grow best in temperate climates with distinct seasons. Maple Leaves. Latin Name Acer then something or other. Psalm 91:1, Quote from: Red Clay Hound on October 30, 2012, 10:48:18 AM, Quote from: WDH on October 30, 2012, 09:44:15 PM, Quote from: doctorb on October 31, 2012, 06:07:53 PM, Quote from: WDH on November 01, 2012, 09:55:07 PM, Trying to see the forest AND the trees (not always as easy as it sounds). Both are relatively low in vulnerability to disease. Red maple leaves are green on the top and a light greenish white on the underside, and turn brilliant red in autumn. Although this tree normally grows on rich, moist soils in the wild, it has proven itself quite adaptable in culture. My front yard is a blazing glory thanks to the sweetgums in mine and my neighbors yards5 altogether. Btw, 9 years ago when the question was originally asked Chueh didn't appear to feel fun was being made by 'plant nerds'. American Sweetgum. Manna Gum Tree, the bark peels off in strips. Flower and fruit: Flowers are small and insignificant. In addition to the sticks, twigs, broken branches, and leaves that shower down almost every day, it also blankets the yard around it in early summer with cottony seedshence, the name "cottonwood." Its weak wood is prone to breaking during severe weather, and the female trees also drop messy seeds. The American sweetgum grows in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained, wet and clay soils. Over 200+ free JavaScripts here! The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site in New York generously donated a grove of forty Sweet Gum trees to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania to commemorate the lives of the forty passengers and crew members of United Flight 93. Although certainly related because theyre both flowering plants, sweetgum trees and oak trees belong to different plant families. myimages2[3]="../../../images/top-banner/behindtheforum.jpg" This variant, also known as fruitless sweetgum or thornless sweetgum, produces fewer if any sweetgum balls, making it better for urban areas, though like the fruit-bearing sweetgum, it has extensive root systems that can disrupt concrete. You can also note that the underside of red maple leaves are much lighter in color, almost white, compared to the underside of sweetgum leaves. The sweetgum produces greenish flowers covered with fine hairs, and its fruit resembles small "sticker balls" or "burr balls," which are eaten by birds and chipmunks. Though most abundant east of the Mississippi River and especially in the southern U.S., the sweetgum tree is one of the most common tree species in the eastern United States and has spread in small groups south to Central American countries including Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. imagelinks[2]="https://woodmizer.com/us/Sawmill-Blades?utm_source=forestryforum.com&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=sawmillblades&utm_term=2022-05-01&utm_content=800x160" Although the leaves have a similar shape to some maple leaves, a quick check of the leaf growth pattern can confirm the tree's identity. Invasiveness is a non-issue here. Think I read someplace its almost the only tree in that family"Actually Liquidambar styraciflua - species names are always in lower case ;-)There are three other species in the genus Liquidambar in Asia, and a few other genera in its family. Leaves turn yellow-purple-red in the fall, and stay on the tree quite late. Leaves are actually one of the best resources around for gardeners. The leaves are star-shaped and sometimes confused with maple leaves, but careful examination shows the difference. The tree itself was first noticed and recorded by the historian Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in 1542. He/she thanked people for their help. Leaves can be used all throughout the landscape. Select from premium Sweet Gum Leaf of the highest quality. Considered a pioneer species, the sweetgum tree can grow beyond 100 feet and is often found in the aftermath of a clearcut. Trees of Pennsylvania and the Northeast by Charles Fergus covers over fifty trees found in our region. It has brilliantly colored autumn foliage, much like the maple tree, which makes it stand out when trees start putting on their fall fashion show. Vector illustration of five colorful autumn leaves: Pin Oak, Japanese Maple, Shagbark Hickory, Laceleaf Japanese Maple and American Sweetgum (Redgum). Although the leaves of the Ginkgo tree do not contain any harmful ingredients to plants, they are extremely waxy. The bark is grayish brown and deeply furrowed. They have five to seven lobes and are 4 to 8 inches long and wide with serrate margins. The image below shows one that has opened to release its tiny papery winged seeds from its many seed-bearing capsules. The leaves of the black gum tree are an elongated oval shape that offer a brilliant fall show. Sweetgums have alternative leaf arrangement. The two main categories of leaf arrangement are alternate or opposite. The sweet gum tree is often planted as an ornamental tree. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: C. Colston Burrell The ultimate difference between sweetgum and maple trees is planted in the minds of children at first contact. The wood of sweetgum trees is used in the production of plywood and veneer, while the sap, leaves, and bark have shown potential in medicinal applications. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It can be found throughout most of the United States as a forest tree in the Southeast and an ornamental in gardens and cities. The eucalyptus tree and leaves contain a toxin that can prohibit plant growth as well as prohibiting seeds from germinating. Those maples love water also. Other great leaf varieties for composting are poplar, ash, willow, cherry, black cherry and elm tree leaves. The major maples have leaves that are divided into three to five lobes. Bark is brown to gray, very rough with . Sweet gum is a native shade tree that has glossy green leaves with five points, similar to a sugar maple. It is the differences between these two tree varieties, however, that will help you to identify them in nature and make a final choice for your yard. You can also rub the leaf in question between your fingers (as long as youre sure its not poison ivy ;-)) and then smell your hands. Lobes on many varieties are, however, smaller than the center of the leaf and range from very to only slightly pointy. You can have as many as you wish document.write('') This leaf is borne on corky-winged limbs, and the fruit is a conspicuous spiked ball that grows in clusters. | bwc84202464. The conspicuous one not mentioned yet, is that maples have their leaves in opposite pairs, whereas sweetgums have leaves alternately ('zig-zag') along the stems. There are some leaves that should never be composted and never used around plants. Ta Dahere I come, cape flying, in defense of my wonderful, adored liquidambars. Children have chewed the resinous sap like chewing gum. Twigs are reddish . Though humans enjoy the sweets produced by sweet gum trees, other creatures dont eat its seeds or leaves. Features glossy green star-shaped leaves throughout the summer It is native to North America, where it is found along the eastern coast from Connecticut to northern Florida. The leaves of a sweetgum tree have five points and are shaped like a star. I've read that both maples and sweetgums can develop extensive roots through decades. //specify random images below. Sweetgum fruit is a round, spikey and woody ball of capsules that is about one to one-and-a-half inches in diameter. Sweetgum. "Liquidambar Styraciflua." mexicana. Aside from the recognizable star-shaped leaves with serrated edges on long petioles, there are other distinctive traits that makes this tree easy to identify. I can't think of a messier tree. Their fall color lasts much longer than most other trees. Because of their beautiful coloring, maples are often grown as ornamental trees. Friday: 10 a.m. 5 p.m. The easiest way to tell the difference, however young the tree and even in winter with no leaves, is the leaf arrangement. Maple leaves resemble sweetgum leaves and each other in their palmate shape. Here is to making the most of your autumn leaves, and to building healthy, nutrient filled compost with leaves! 4 The star-like leaf has five or seven lobes or points and turns from green in summer to . Maple leaves have higher levels of nitrogen and calcium, which of course, are both perfect for plants, and a compost pile. Started by livemusic While some varieties are filled with goodness, other trees leaves can have very little nutritional value. imagelinks2[1]="https://www.youtube.com/c/TheForestryForum?sub_confirmation=1" Nature is full of variations; theres plenty of beauty without intent to mock us!. Sweet gum tree is a tall, majestic tree that's difficult to beat for symmetrical beauty in a landscape setting. on Sawmills and Milling. The deciduous leaves are maplelike in outline, with five pointed lobes and lightly toothed margins. How To Overwinter Mums The Simple Secrets To Saving Hardy Mums! Nyssa sylvatica grows to 20-25 metres (66-82 ft) tall, rarely to 35 metres (115 ft), with a trunk diameter of 50-100 centimetres (20-39 in), rarely up to 170 centimetres (67 in). Black gum trees are a little smaller, reaching a full height of only 30-50 feet, according to the University of Kentucky. This list includes sycamore, yellow-poplar, and sweetgum trees. imagelinks[5]="https://woodmizer.com/Store/Shop/Sawmill-Options/CookieMizer-Clamping-Jig?utm_source=forestryforum.com&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=cookiemizer&utm_term=2021-03-09&utm_content=800x160" But maple leaves also have another big advantage for compost piles in that they are extremely low in lignin. Some ppl are upset with the spikey sweetgum balls but the trees get very big and majestic and imho are well worth the spikers which can be picked up (gloves) or raked. View Map. Well, the obvious telltale sign is the seed containers. Each leaf is on its own layer and is easily separated from the other leaves and from the white background and shadows. And now, you can go on with your life knowing that you'll always be able to tell the difference between a baby Maple tree and Sweetgum. Opposite on maples and alternate on sweet gum. When it comes to the best of the best, maple leaves are certainly at the top of the list. Other trees with maple-like leavesthe sycamore, sweetgum, and yellow-poplarhave leaves that are alternate in arrangement. Try: Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but hopefully you see where Im going here. If you have fruit in-hand, telling them apart is a breeze. Known as one of the largest caterpillars in North America it can grow to the size of a hotdog. imagelinks[1]="http://www.ezboardwalk.com/" Autumn is here, and that means there will soon be leaves littering the ground. They are vigorous shade trees from the southeastern United States with star-shaped leaves that smell sweetly resinous if scratched. For more information on how to build a great fall compost pile with leaves, check out our How To Create A Great Fall Compost Pile article on the blog. ", He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. low angle view of maple leaves on tree - sweet gum leaf stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. We publish two articles every week, 52 weeks a year. The Sweetgum tree is native to the southeastern United States and a member of a genus made up of only six species. 111. The new, young leaves of Sweetgum frequently have more--rather than fewer--lobes, and have more pronounced teeth. Sweetgum is second only to oak in production of wood for furniture, cabinetwork and veneers. How does one tell them apart? In addition, the bark has a strong scent and is used to make perfumes, essential oils, and medicines. var myimages=new Array() Its shape is pyramidal, becoming more rounded with age. I looked at dozens of descriptions, pictures and measurements before learning that Sweetgum has a distinct smell. The leaves of a maple tree are very distinct, but that shape does not belong to maple leaves alonea number of broadleaf trees have maple-like leaves. var myimages2=new Array() Over 200+ free JavaScripts here! Examine the bark. Sweetgums love water. That single detail is definitive. Lara earned her Bachelors and Masters degree in Natural Resource Conservation from the University of Florida and is a graduate of the Natural Resources Leadership Institute. They are classified in separate families; maples are currently placed in the family Sapindaceae (formerly in their own family Aceraceae), while sweetgums are currently placed in the family Altingiaceae (formerly in the family Hamamelidaceae). Lara Milligan is the Natural Resources Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County. The deciduous leaves are maplelike in outline, with five pointed . The thin skins of maple leaves also shred easily and break down quickly in a compost pile. Maple varieties are far more territorial. If leaf arrangement isnt your thing, check out the leaf margins, or edges of the leaf. Chlorosis can show an a few leaves, an individual branch, half of the crown, or the entire tree. This toxin can make quick work of vegetable garden plants as well as many flowering annuals and perennials. For those who are starting to learn about tree identification, books that focus on the trees you are most likely to see in the environment around you are the most effective. Growing 60 to 70 feet tall and 45 feet wide, the sweetgum tree has an oval or . In addition, oak leaves fall on the acidic side of the spectrum. Rarely reaches 100 feet in the wild. Use as a campus or park tree, shade or large lawn tree. . Like maple leaves, sycamore leaves are divided into three to five shallow lobes. Small mammals such as chipmunks, red squirrels and gray squirrels also enjoy the fruits and seeds. The alternate leaves are maple-like or star-shaped. myimages[5]="../../../images/top-banner/cookie-mizer.jpg" Product link : Earthwise Electric Chipper/Shredder. Sweet Gum Trees. All you need to do is find a tree that you can confirm as being Liquidambar Styraciflua, then crush a leaf under your nose. Sycamores are often found in humid continental climates, especially in wetlands and areas near rivers and streams. They eventually drop to the ground before Spring, and they are infamously known for their sharp woody hornlike projections that make walking barefoot beneath a Sweet Gum tree an ill-advised endeavor. Leaves with iron chlorosis will develop a yellow color with a network of dark green veins. "Liquidambar Styraciflua 'Rotundiloba. All gums are produced by different species of trees and are used for a variety of functions in our daily lives. Yields long-stemmed, woody, burr-like fruit that is approximately 1" in diameter. While hickory nuts aren't attractive to deer deer will consume this tree's browse (buds, stems, etc.). Their leaves are also soft to the touch and have a distinctive smell. We offer a wide range of residential and commercial tree services for all tree species . Grows 60'-70', with a 45' spread. Growth habit: Pyramidal when young, black gum develops an irregular rounded or flat-topped form with age. In the fall, their leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow and red. Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark. The straight trunk of a sweet gum tree is characterized by gray-brown bark that has narrow, deep ridges. Members of this small family also include a variety of sweetgum growing in eastern Mexico and Liquidambar orientalis, which is native to Central Asia. Wednesday: 10 a.m. 7 p.m. Do sweetgum do the same? Page created in 1.06 seconds with 40 queries. Maple leaves turn a variety of colors in the fall, ranging from reds to yellows, oranges and browns. function random_imglink(){ Phenology: From late March to early April, the flowers, fruits and leaves emerge. Sweet potato leaves. As with hackberry, most people saddled with this garbage tree live with it because no other trees will grow there. imagelinks[3]="https://woodmizer.com/Store/Shop/Portable-Sawmills/LX25-Portable-Sawmill?utm_source=forestryforum.com&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=lx25&utm_term=2023-02-10&utm_content=800x160" } //-->,