Liquidambar styraciflua
Specifications
Family
Altingiaceae
Species
Liquidambar styraciflua L.
hazel pine
red gum
sap gum
sweetgum
Description
It develops a broad, pinkish-white sapwood and a reddish-brown heartwood, sometimes variegated with darker streaks. It is often separated by color: the sapwood is sold as Sap Gum and the heartwood as Red Gum. The texture is moderately fine, and the grain is often interwoven, creating pleasing aesthetic effects. The density at normal moisture content ranges from 0.45 to 0.60. Sawing difficulties vary depending on the amount of cross grain. Drying is fairly easy for the sapwood, but there is still the risk of discoloration caused by fungi that can quickly invade moist wood; drying for the heartwood requires longer drying times and greater difficulty, requiring special attention. Shrinkage is high, which easily leads to warping and surface cracking. Subsequent processing is not always easy, and the final results sometimes leave much to be desired. Nailed joints can be considered of average success, and special care must be taken when gluing, especially for the heartwood. Mechanical resistance is average, and a similar assessment must be made for durability. Antiseptics are difficult to penetrate into the heartwood.
Plant morphology
A tree that can reach 20-25 meters in height, it has an erect habit with a slender trunk and a pyramidal crown. The bark is corky and has deep fissures. The deciduous leaves are five-lobed (similar to those of maples) with a long stalk. They are green in color, turning yellow, red, and orange in autumn before falling. The plant is monoecious, and the flowers are unisexual, grouped in separate male and female inflorescences: the male flowers lack a perianth and have many stamens, while the female flowers have only a calyx and an inferior ovary. The fruit is a woody capsule enclosed in a globose inflorescence; each capsule contains one or two seeds. The inflorescence, initially green, becomes woody and is thorny due to the persistence of the styles.
Natural occurrence
Countries of origin and distribution
Southeastern United States
Habitat and ecology
Particularly common near watercourses, it prefers a temperate-cold climate and positions in full light, deep, fresh or humid soil.
Uses
Application areas
It is used for furniture, interior design, slats and various containers, plywood veneers, fine carpentry, decorative veneers, and craft work.
Threats and Conservation
Threats
Conversion of its natural habitat into agricultural areas and excessive harvesting of forest.
Conservation measures
Present in more than 200 ex situ collections (BGCI 2018).
IUCN Red List
IUCN
LC - Least Concern - Low Risk
CITES. Year of assessment
CITES
2018
1975
2050
CITES Italia • Ultimo aggiornamento
2018
Not present.
Miscellaneous
The tree secretes a gum called storax which has several industrial uses: in pharmaceutical preparations, in tobacco tanning, in perfumery and for adhesives.