Liquidambar styraciflua American Sweetgum Trash Tree Love
Today I am loving the Sweetgum trees on the back of my property. This native tree has been given a bad rap and is considered a “trash tree”. I disagree. I look out from my deck, after we have had frosts and most of the other deciduous trees have lost their leaves, and see my two sweetgums producing a lovely color display.
American Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua has earned it’s reputation by being poorly used in landscape designs, touted as a shade tree. Like any tree it has it’s down sides. It produces spiny seed pods in the fall, making it a very bad choice for high traffic areas. In poorly drained soil it will grow shallow rooted, making it a very bad choice near driveways, foundations or walks. In moist areas it will re-seed. It’s best suited for woodland edges and not the middle of the lawn. It’s a full canopy tree reaching 80′ or more and requires sun in maturity so it’s not for the small garden. In the past it was heavily used as a lawn or drive lining shade tree which just didn’t work out too well, resulting in an attitude that if there is sweetgum on a property, it needs to go.
But if it doesn’t need to go then leave it. Benefits of sweetgum are it’s unusual star shaped leaves which add a different shape and texture to a woodland edge and the fall color is a wonderful bonus. Fall foliage can range from multi-colored (particularly on species) to maroons. Cultivars will produce a more stable foliage display however many of these are fruitless which adds no wildlife benefit to a backyard. The wildlife value is moderate. Birds, chipmunks and squirrels will eat the seed pods but if you have limited space in a habitat garden this tree should not be a first choice. However if sweetgum occurs in an out of the way spot, don’t cut it down. If you have space, consider planting one. A habitat needs diversity. If an acorn crop fails one year it’s going to be the sweetgums and similar secondary value food trees which will sustain wildlife over the winter.
Besides, when the rest of the world is brown, American Sweetgum is giving you the last colors of fall.
Thank you for this article. The pros & cons are well-presented. I’m trying to establish a diverse planting on our 2 acres in southern Oregon, aiming especially for wildlife-, bird, and insect-friendly plantings. I think we have an area that’s farther from the house, where a Liquidambar would look good against the darker pines.
…Jerry Brown