Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Florida-Friendly Plant of the Week

 

Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua

Since I seem to be having encounters with Sweetgum trees frequently lately, I felt they were asking me to shine a little light on them. They are almost ubiquitous in our area, and yet so often overlooked.  We have a lot of them on site at The Hernando County Utilities Admin building, and walking through the grass under them, swishing the fallen leaves as I walk, feels a little like Autumn up north. I was also placed under some Sweetgums for an event in which I had a table last weekend, and the falling leaves provided some natural, free decorations for my display. Yes, many of them were colored! Sweetgum trees provide shade for my granddaughter's school playground, and I can report that the back seat of my car contains much leaf litter from her collection.

Deciduous trees in Florida depend on many factors as to whether or not they will give us a beautiful show in any given fall season. The same really could be said for their flashy cousins up north. So, let's just say we have a year in which all conditions fall together, and we get to experience some fall color in our deciduous trees. Sweetgums are changing right now, without the benefit of any cool weather. Why? Cool weather plays a factor is some chemical responses for leaf color change, but the fact remains that the tree knows it's time to go into dormancy, and it's going to stop producing chlorophyll. The shortening of daylight hours plays a big part in this chemical reaction.

Sweetgums are native and usually "left standing" on a property rather than purposefully planted. They tolerate any soil pH. Then will grow from 40-60 feet high and 40-60 feet wide. They like well drained to medium drained soil. They have a medium tolerance for salt spray. They prefer sunny to partly sunny locations. They provide food for wildlife, and have a medium to high wind resistance.

Disadvantages are that they DO loose their leaves. That means you have to rake them, if you are in a community with manicured lawns. They also have seed pods about the size of golf balls, with little spikes all around the ball. My nephew used to call these miniature maces "ouchy balls." They don't hurt to touch, but  they are unpleasant to step on.

I enjoy Sweetgums where I find them, in undeveloped lots, parks, etc. They bring a nice touch of Autumn to Florida.

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