Sweetgum

Sweetgum is a valuable and sometimes troublesome forest tree in East Texas. It occurs on rich river bottoms and in swamps subject to frequent overflow, as well as on the dried uplands, as far west s the San Jacinto River Basin.
The BARK is a light grey, roughened by corky scales in the first year, later becoming deeply furrowed. After the second year the twigs often develop corky projections of bark which give them a winged appearance.

The simple, alternate, star-shaped LEAF with its 5 to 7 points or lobes , is 5 to 7 inches across and aromatic. In the fall its coloring ranges from pale yellow through oranges and reds to a deep bronze.

The FLOWERS of both sexes appear on the same tree and open with the leaves. The FRUIT, a head an inch or more in diameter, is made up of many capsules with projecting spines. It hangs on the tree late into the winter.

The WOOD is moderately hard, close-grained and not durable on exposure. The reddish-brown heartwood, which suggest the name red gum, is not present to any appreciable extent in logs under 16 inches in diameter. The wood is is extensively used for flooring, interior finish, paper pulp, and veneers for baskets.

In the uplands, this species competes aggressively with the more valuable Southern pines. The control of the sweetgum is therefore a problem. This attractive species should be more widely planted for ornamental use.