Menu
American sweetgum grows naturally in North and Central America and has been cultivated as an ornamental tree in Europe since 1681.
Habitus: deciduous tree. Trees usually grow 15-20 meters tall, although in their natural range they can grow much higher. The tree is very distinctive, it could be said that it embodies three types of other trees. It creates branches with characteristic protrusions like elm (Ulmus), the leaves are similar to maples (Acer) and the fruits are like those of sycamore (Platanus). The crown is broadly pyramidal.
Flower: unisexual. The fruits are prickly balls that ripen at the beginning of autumn, but remain on the tree throughout the winter.
Leaf: alternating, located on longer petiole, they are lobed and thus form 5-7 finely toothed lobes in the shape of a star, on the upper side they are dark green and shiny, on the underside they are lighter and hairy along the veins, they are on a 6-12 cm long petiole.
Deep humus soil, moist and well-drained places; normal, slightly alkaline soil; moderate climate; sunny habitat
It is planted as a solitary tree or in group plantings (cemeteries, city parks), and it is also suitable for beds, terraces and rest areas.
Original species are propagated by seeds that require stratification, cultivated species are propagated by grafting.
ArborTech project has been funded with the support from the European Commission, with the reference number 2021-1-SI01-KA220-VET-000028108. The content of this website reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
