This plant is known by many names - the hazel pine, alligatorwood, and redgum - but is most commonly called the American Sweetgum. This name comes from its sap, which can be dried and chewed as a natural gum. These large trees are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in the fall. During the summer, however, they contain a large canopy of expansive leaves, which contrast directly with a gray-brown bark, striped with vertical lines. Fossilized impressions of similar sweetgum trees date back to over 90 million years ago. These trees are usually last to develop leaves in the spring, and last to drop them in the fall.
Foliage
These leaves are pointy and often compared to stars. While they are green in the summer, the foliage of the American Sweetgum turns bold shades of yellow, red, and even purple in a spectacular display of fall color. This leaf can be confused for a maple, and can be distinguished by smooth edges leading to each point. Maple leaves have a textured, pointed edge.
Seeds or Cones
American Sweetgum seeds form inside a spiky pod, pictured here. Don’t stand under a sweetgum in high winds - these pods, while harmless, have hooks that can act like natural Velcro! You may just find one stuck to your hair, or snagged on a coat pocket.
All illustrations by A.S. Longman
Did you know?
This tree is sometimes referred to as the star-leaved gum as a result of its foliage shape.
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