SWEETGUM
Sweet gum trees are truly remarkable additions to any landscape. Their expansive, lush crowns generously offer shade to gardens, sidewalks, parks, and streets alike. As autumn arrives, these trees transform the scenery with a breathtaking display of orange, yellow, red, and purple hues that invigorate the environment. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, sweet gum trees also provide privacy in gardens by acting as natural barriers.
Known commonly as sweetgum or redgum and belonging to the Hamamelidaceae family (witch-hazel family), these large deciduous hardwoods can reach impressive heights of over 100 feet (30.5 meters). When grown in open spaces, they develop a symmetrical cone-shaped crown that gracefully rounds out with age. The star-shaped palmate leaves—measuring 4-7 inches (10-17.8 cm) across—make them easily recognizable. Though their blooms may go unnoticed, the distinctive fruits make their presence known—especially when stepped on barefoot! These hard spiny spheres resemble golf balls about 1-1.5 inches (2.5-3.8 cm) in diameter and hang from branches after leaf fall; they often disperse seeds before dropping.
Sweet gums thrive on bottomland sites but are adaptable to various conditions—they flourish in full sun or filtered shade and prefer moist well-drained soils yet can withstand drier areas due to drought resistance; they are hardy across USDA Zones 5-9 too! Known for rapid growth rates alongside striking fall colors while being largely pest-free without succumbing easily against diseases plus tolerating both droughts & wet flooded grounds makes them an excellent choice overall!
However—a word of caution—the spiny fruit pods might pose challenges particularly around lawns/sidewalks where limbs may drop frequently causing potential issues if left unchecked given how quickly this species spreads under fertile/moist conditions potentially becoming invasive unless managed properly!