on Tree, Plant and Wood I.D. As lignin decomposes, it actually consumes nitrogen to help the process. Do not plant near driveways or sidewalks due to the aggressive root system. Children have chewed the resinous sap like chewing gum. Tree Removal. The male flower clusters fall to the ground. Answer (1 of 3): Sweet gum is in a different family than is maple. Leaves turn yellow-purple-red in the fall, and stay on the tree quite late. Other great leaf varieties for composting are poplar, ash, willow, cherry, black cherry and elm tree leaves. Fall color can be quite dramatic, with a combination of yellows, reds, and . 9, no. The easiest way to tell the difference, however young the tree and even in winter with no leaves, is the leaf arrangement. Both are hardwoods, much prized by furniture makers. The yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) is the tallest eastern hardwood tree. Rarely reaches 100 feet in the wild. Deep, glossy green star-shaped leaves mark the Sweetgum. /* Plus, white mulberry trees are known to be messy neighbors, and the species' male trees emit pollen notorious for triggering allergies. In summer they are shiny dark green above and downy below. Maple Leaves. The bark on maple trees starts smooth and gray before developing fissures and furrows. During the following summer the adult moth emerges from the ground, climbing nearby vegetation to expand its wings. Like oak trees, beech trees also have a higher level of lignin. Gum Tree Species: List of Different Types of Gum Trees. Try: Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. Moreover, maple leaves and twigs are . Each lobe is less than four inches in size. Sweet gum tree is a tall, majestic tree that's difficult to beat for symmetrical beauty in a landscape setting. Have you wondered why a tree would produce sticky or gummy resin? Here's an illustration of opposite vs alternate leaf arrangement. However, when mature, those lobes extend beyond four inches in size. Other trees with "maple-like" leavesthe sycamore, sweetgum, and yellow-poplarhave leaves that are alternate in arrangement. 1. wide. Sweetgums love water. The tree itself was first noticed and recorded by the historian Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca in 1542. My sister's small townhouse garden in SoCal was populated by 13(!) The leaf stalk and twigs also have a reddish color. The common name Sweet Gum comes from the sweet tasting and gummy consistency of its resin. It grows in moist flat areas in association with pin oak or sycamore. Over 200+ free JavaScripts here! There are some varieties of trees leaves that can still be composted, but should be used only in moderation. We offer a wide range of residential and commercial tree services for all tree species . The brown spiky balls can persist on the tree through the Winter, and they are particularly beautiful with a light dusting of snow. Most of the Red Maple leaves are a light or a pale green to a whitish. Tu, We: 10 a.m. 7 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. 5 p.m. Or check out the book lists and resource guides created by our staff, 34 N. Balph Ave., Deer like them. Sweet gum is a native shade tree that has glossy green leaves with five points, similar to a sugar maple. Each leaf is on its own layer and is easily separated from the other leaves and from the white background and shadows. Young trees are pyramidal; older trees more oval. 412-766-7447 Flower and fruit: Flowers are small and insignificant. This tree, also known as the Maidenhair, is a popular yard addition because it features stunning fall foliage and is hardy and low-maintenance. As the leaves mature--or as the tree gets bigger?--they seem to become more simplified and less deeply toothed. Even worse, some can actually be toxic to plants when used anywhere near them. Login with username, password and session length, Timberking 1400, Ford 3910 Tractor, John Deere 350B Crawler/Loader, 2007 Wood-Mizer LT40 Super Hydraulic with 51 hp. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: C. Colston Burrell However, they can also be found in Europe and Asia, where some varietiesincluding the Japanese maple and the field mapleare grown as decorative bonsai trees. lucky_p just because its common, opportunist and you just don't like it doesn't mean its a bad tree for the rest of us. Roundleaf sweetgum, or Liquidambar styraciflua rotundiloba,has star-shaped leaves with three to five lobes that have rounded tips. A single family member has a consistency in leaf shape that a group of relatives does not. The female flower head droops downward from a two-inch long light green peduncle, or stem. 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. The major maples have leaves that are divided into three to five lobes. 12 April 2007. Other trees with maple-like leavesthe sycamore, sweetgum, and yellow-poplarhave leaves that are alternate in arrangement. 6. Some maple varieties, such as Canyon maple, confine their range to a small area, Arizona, New Mexico and parts of southern Idaho. . So far, he's only become a doctor. It is not as hardy as the native species. American sweetgum trees, or Liquidambar styraciflua, are sometimes called redgum largely because of the distinct color of this older heartwood and its star-shaped leaves in the fall. low angle view of maple leaves on tree - sweet gum leaf stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images. 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. Like the sweetgum and the yellow-poplar, the sycamore has leaves that are alternate in arrangement. Leaves are alternate, simple, star-shaped, with 5 (sometimes 7) lobes, 3-6 inches wide, deeply lobed; margin toothed, tips long-pointed; leaves slightly aromatic when bruised. The leaf is oval in shape and comes to a point at the end. It doesn't take much for a wind storm to blow in a batch from a tree across the highway. Maple leaves turn a variety of colors in the fall, ranging from reds to yellows, oranges and browns. Illustration uses linear gradients. "The american sweetgum we generally see is "Liquidambar Styraciflua" to scientists. 11 of 12. No; with over 100 species of maple, there's a huge range in growth rates from very slow to quite fast. . Cat; 2007 Wood-Mizer EG200 Twin Blade Edger; Woodmaster 718 Molder/Planer; Stihl MS460 and MS362 Chainsaws; 2011 John Deere 5065 with JD 553 Loader. Examine the leaves of the tree. The new, young leaves of Sweetgum frequently have more--rather than fewer--lobes, and have more pronounced teeth. Young trees up to 4-8 inches with a smooth light gray bark, developing into gray or black ridges and ultimately narrow scaly plates. Have a baby variegated (green and white leaves) doing really well. Sweetgum is a deciduous tree that may grow 80 to 120 feet tall with a diameter of 4 feet or more. NC State Extension. During Autumn, leaves turn a bright red or an bright orange. Turnips. Stems often have corky and attractive wings during the second year. "Sweet Gum Tree" Maples as a whole are prized by the furniture industry; sugar maple trees provide the birdseye, curly and fiddleback woods valued for fine cabinetmaking. . . Both are relatively low in vulnerability to disease. Grows 60'-70', with a 45' spread. Random Image Link Script- By JavaScript Kit(http://www.javascriptkit.com) Latin Name Acer then something or other. Maple leaves have higher levels of nitrogen and calcium, which of course, are both perfect for plants, and a compost pile. random_imglink2() From the leaf shape you might think it a maple, except that no maple can match the sweet odor. Hopefully, the article about sweet gum leaf vs maple above meets your needs, everyone has a better idea, please leave a comment below, all your suggestions help us create better and better articles for everyone. The deciduous leaves are maplelike in outline, with five pointed . I thought the sweetgums in my backyard as maple. The sap from a maple tree is sticky and can be used to make ink; it also has a strong sugar content. The star-like leaf has five or seven lobes or points and turns from green in summer to yellow or purple in autumn. Want more information on trees and gardening? Oils from sweetgum trees have shown potential as a natural pesticide against the pine wood nematodeBursaphelenchus xylophilus, as well as an insecticide for Aedes aegypti, mosquitos known to transmit dengue fever. Even more, lignin has a significant impact to the nitrogen levels in your finished compost, and the soil you will use your compost in. The leaves have a similar shape, and the fall foliage color, well, that's bright and festive, just like a maple. Except for the difference in their seeds that noki pointed out they do appear to have some similarities thanks to a similar leaf shape and excellent fall color. The bark is grayish brown and deeply furrowed. The straight trunk of a sweet gum tree is characterized by gray-brown bark that has narrow, deep ridges. Sycamores include a variety of tree species, ranging from the Old World sycamore (Platanus orientalis) to the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) to the California sycamore (Platanus racemosa). They have five to seven lobes and are 4 to 8 inches long and wide with serrate margins. It has an attractive, uniform habit . A single family member has a consistency in leaf shape that a group of relatives does not. */ Scientific name of sweet gum tree: Liquidambar Styraciflua. While some varieties are filled with goodness, other trees leaves can have very little nutritional value. Known as one of the largest caterpillars in North America it can grow to the size of a hotdog. Sweet-gum (1645-23*1) is in the . The Most Common North American Hardwood Trees, Hardwood Trees: Identifying the Most Common Species, Identifying Common North American Conifers, How to Identify Maple, Sycamore, Yellow-Poplar, and Sweetgum Leaves, Ten Most Common Trees in the United States, Identify a Tree Using Leaf Shape, Margin, and Venation, Why Manchineel Might Be Earth's Most Dangerous Tree, Illustrations of Common Eastern United States Trees by Charles Sprague Sargent, Identifying Wild Mushrooms: What to Eat, What to Avoid, Photosynthetic Capacity of Senescent Leaves for a Subtropical Broadleaf Deciduous Tree Species Liquidambar Formosana Hance, Sweetgum: An Ancient Source of Beneficial Compounds with Modern Benefits. Maple leaves have higher levels of nitrogen and calcium, which of course, are both perfect for plants, and a compost pile. 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). "Liquidambar Styraciflua." Avoid polluted sites. If the trunk or branch of a Sweet Gum is damaged, the tree exudes an amber-colored resin that thickens into a gum which ultimately hardens. imagelinks2[2]="https://www.youtube.com/c/TheForestryForum?sub_confirmation=1" 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. imagelinks[4]="http://www.ezboardwalk.com/" A million members, donors, and partners support our programs to make our world greener and healthier. One final note on composting the good leaves. However, they were identified as sweetgums. 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