tree

Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua

Climate-suitable non-native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Full sun

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 42°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -25°C

Waterlogging tolerance

4/5

Drought tolerance

3/5

Mature size

10–20 m tall, 9 m spread

Seasonal interest

Autumn colour · Crimson purple

Maintenance

low

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 3/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Spiky fruit is a trip hazard on paths.

Toxicity: mild

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name: Liquidambar styraciflua L.
Family: Altingiaceae (Saxifragales)
Rank and status: species · accepted
GBIF record: Taxon 3152824

Recorded native range: Medialuna del sur de Bogotá D.C.: Ciudad Bolívar, Usme, San Cristóbal, Tunjuelito, Kennedy, Rafael Uribe Uribe y Bosa.

Recorded as introduced in: Belgium, Bogotá, D.C., Brussels-Capital Region, Cyprus, Flemish Region, France, Garden Route National Park, Great Britain, Italy, New York, Ontario, Spain and 1 further regions

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Liquidambar styraciflua, commonly known as the American sweetgum among other names, 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. Sweetgum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern United States, and is a popular ornamental tree in temperate climates. It is recognizable by the combination of its five-pointed star-shaped leaves (similar to maple leaves) and its hard, spiked fruits. It is currently classified in the plant family Altingiaceae, but was formerly considered a member of the Hamamelidaceae.

Description from Wikipedia — Liquidambar styraciflua (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

United Kingdom: climate-suitable
United States: native
Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Where to buy

Real retailers serving UK. Garden Forward publishes no prices of its own — each link opens the retailer's own search results, where their current price and stock are shown.

Search Ashridge Nurseries for Liquidambar styraciflua
Bare-root trees, hedging and fruit in the dormant season.
Search Sarah Raven for Liquidambar styraciflua
Perennials, bulbs and seed, delivered across the UK.
Search Farmer Gracy for Liquidambar styraciflua
Bulbs and perennials shipped direct from Dutch growers.
Search Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants for Liquidambar styraciflua
Specialist hardy perennial nursery.
Search Marshalls Garden for Liquidambar styraciflua
Fruit, vegetable plants and seed.

No affiliate relationship is in place with these retailers, so nothing here earns Garden Forward a commission. Search links checked 2026-09-17. Availability of a species is never a reason it is recommended.

Companion palettes

Not currently in a sample palette.

Climate-resilient alternatives

Data sources

Taxonomy and native range: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Species description: Wikipedia — Liquidambar styraciflua
Photograph: Famartin · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Growing guidance: Practitioner horticultural estimates pending expert review

Botanical record checked 2026-09-17 · growing guidance last reviewed 2026-06-01 · confidence high

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.