American sweetgum liquidambar styraciflua also known as american storax hazel pine bilsted redgum satin walnut star leaved gum alligatorwood or simply sweetgum is a deciduous tree in the genus liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern north america and tropical montane regions of mexico and central america sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the.
Is sweet gum tree a hardwood.
Such trees can grow to be as old as 400 years old and they can reach towering heights of 150 feet.
The yellowish colored sap technically called gum in a hardwood tree is exuded from bark wounds and can actually be boiled down and concentrated into a salve that will reportedly cure skin.
Despite the world demand for liquidambar through the centuries little was done with the yield of the north american sweet gum tree.
As you learned earlier sweet gum is easily identifiable as it comes from a tree that produces star shaped leaves that contain five points along with spiked fruit.
Timber from the sweet gum tree is a finely textured moderately heavy white colored sapwood with a light pink tint.
Sweet gum is a troublesome wood to work with because of its tendency to twist and move but the effort can be worth it for some uses.
Sweetgum grows in moist soils of valleys and lower sloped areas.
It is low valued and currently rarely used except for industrial blocking and pallets.
Today the species usually has a wide.
Hardwood lumber sweetgum fnr 300 w chip morrison sweetgum is a relatively hard uniform grained wood previously used for furniture and plywood.
Its heartwood is variable and ranges from dark brown to a lighter reddish brown.
Sweetgum redgum star leaved gum alligator wood and gumtree habitat.
It tends to warp and stain easily.
This tree may also be found in mixed woodlands.
It is considered a hardwood species with wood weighing 52 pounds per cubic.
Sawing and drying sweet gum.
Sweet gum wood though has been another story.
The sweet gum tree attracts wildlife including blue jays cardinals mourning doves squirrels chipmunks and luna moths.
February 14 2010.