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Liquidambar styraciflua

L.

Sweetgum

G5Secure Found in 49 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.148447
Element CodePDHAM03010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderSaxifragales
FamilyAltingiaceae
GenusLiquidambar
Other Common Names
Alligator-tree (EN) Bilsted (EN) Redgum (EN) Red Gum (EN) Star-leaved Gum (EN) sweetgum (EN) Sweet Gum (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2024-06-28
Change Date1983-11-03
Edition Date2024-06-28
Edition AuthorsN. Ventrella (2024)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Liquidambar styraciflua is a widespread tree occurring in woodlands, fields, floodplains, swamps, and on riverbanks of eastern North America from New York south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Illinois in the United States; it is also in Mexico and Central America in Belize and Honduras to Nicaragua. Threats include development, fire, herbivory, drought, diseases, and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Liquidambar styraciflua occurs as a native species in eastern North America from New York south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Illinois in the United States and also in Mexico and Central America in Belize and Honduras to Nicaragua (FNA 1997). Range extent was estimated to be over 2.5 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 2023 and 2024 (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 2023 and 2024, it is estimated that there are thousands of occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024). However, this taxon is commonly cultivated, and iNaturalist observations (>59,000) were not evaluated for evidence of cultivation (iNaturalist 2024).
Threat Impact Comments
Although threats are not widely documented, Liquidambar styraciflua is threatened by development, fire, herbivory, drought, diseases, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, and tolerance of light disturbance, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Liquidambar styraciflua occurs in flood plains, swamps, low hammocks, riverbanks, fields, and woodlands (FNA 1997).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OhioSNRYes
TennesseeSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
West VirginiaS4Yes
New YorkS5Yes
Rhode IslandSNRYes
IndianaS5Yes
AlabamaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
OklahomaSNRYes
South CarolinaS5Yes
MarylandSNRYes
VirginiaS5Yes
LouisianaSNRYes
FloridaS5Yes
New JerseyS5Yes
DelawareS5Yes
KentuckyS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
TexasSNRYes
ConnecticutS3Yes
GeorgiaSNRYes
District of ColumbiaS5Yes
IllinoisSNRYes
PennsylvaniaSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
MissouriSNRYes
CanadaNNA
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioSNANo
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL, DECIDUOUS
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (49)
Alabama (2)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Arkansas (11)
AreaForestAcres
Bear MountainOuachita National Forest1,910
Blue MountainOuachita National Forest9,755
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
Hurricane CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest2,279
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
PenhookOzark-St. Francis National Forest6,566
Florida (2)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
Georgia (5)
AreaForestAcres
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Cedar MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,083
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Ripple HollowShawnee National Forest3,788
Louisiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Saline Bayou W & S River CorridorKisatchie National Forest5,355
North Carolina (13)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Chunky Gal (addition)Nantahala National Forest3,336
Dobson KnobPisgah National Forest6,111
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
Sam Knob (addition)Pisgah National Forest2,576
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Tusquitee BaldNantahala National Forest13,670
Yellowhammer Branch (add.)Nantahala National Forest1,255
Oklahoma (1)
AreaForestAcres
Beech CreekOuachita National Forest8,303
Tennessee (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Texas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big WoodsNational Forests in Texas1,320
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Virginia (5)
AreaForestAcres
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
Kelley MountainGeorge Washington National Forest7,590
Little RiverGeorge Washington National Forest27,292
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Middle MountainMonongahela National Forest19,020
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1997. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 3. Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiii + 590 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2024. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2024).
  3. iNaturalist. 2024. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2024).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  6. Record, S., and C. Mell. 1924. Timbers of Tropical America. New Haven: Yale University Press, U.S.A. 610 pages.
  7. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2024. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2024).
  8. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.