50. Sweetgum

Also called Liquid Ambar, Redgum, and Sapgum

Specimen Size: 49.6ft tall, 9.75in in diameter.

Location: On the side of the traffic circle in front of Parrington Hall.

Historical Background: The first historical reference of this tree comes from Don Bernal Diaz del Castillo, a Spanish conquistador who witnessed ceremonies between Cortez and Montezuma in the 1500s. The liquid amber extracted from the tree was consumed and diffused for fragrance. Today, its wood is used for furniture and interior furnishings. 

Non-Native

Native Range: Southeastern United States

Identifying Features: This tree is another common sight in Seattle, with wondrously green leaves turning into some of the most brilliant fall foliage anywhere, each tree having the whole spectrum of colors from yellow to almost purple red. It is a large tree with a straight trunk and conical crown that becomes rounded and spreading in older age, when it can reach an impressive height of 60-100’ (18-30m). Bark is grey and furrowed, smoother when young. This species has maple-like star shaped leaves on long stems. It also has very distinctive seed pods, 1 ¼” (2.5-3cm) in diameter and round with long spines that can be rough on bare feet. They hang down on long stalks green and plump before browning, drying, and dropping to the ground in droves. Tiny grainy seeds are released from holes in these pods.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: A large and tall tree, with a straight trunk and aromatic disposition. The crown is conical when young and becomes round and spreading, rising to heights of 60-100’ (18-30m). They can also achieve a fairly good sized diameter of 1 ½-3’ (0.5-0.9m), but are generally quite slender for their heights.

2. Leaves: Leaves of this tree are maple-like, 3-6” (7.5-15cm) long and wide. They have 5-7 long pointed and toothed lobes, with a palmate venation pattern of growth. When crushed they release a distinct resinous odor. They are shiny green on top and, lighter beneath, and in autumn turn an immense range of colors, even on the same tree and same leaf from yellow to darkest red.

3. Bark: Gray and smooth at youth, furrowing into narrow scaly ridges and becoming darker as they age.

4. Reproductive Bodies: The flowers of this tree are tiny and greenish ball-like clusters. Males are in several clusters along a stalk while females are drooping in a ball on the same tree. Fruit is a brown ball arising from these green flower clusters, 1-1 ¼” (2.5-3cm) in diameter on a long stalk. It is actually a cluster of many many individual fruits, all ending in 2 long prickly curved points with 1-2 long winged seeds. When green in spring the balls can amass in such numbers that they break branches off the tree with their weight, and in fall they litter the ground in equally prodigious numbers.