American Sweetgum

trees · fall colors · eastern North America

Star-shaped leaves. Sweetgum leaves have five points that look like little stars, which makes this tree super easy to spot in the forest or in your neighborhood.

Spiky fruit balls. Instead of regular seeds, sweetgum trees make hard, bumpy spheres covered in little spikes that look like tiny medieval weapons and drop to the ground in autumn.

Rainbow fall colors. In autumn, sweetgum leaves transform into brilliant reds, oranges, and purples, making them one of the most colorful trees you can find.

Mighty forest giant. Sweetgum is one of the most important timber trees in the southeastern United States, which means people cut them down to make wood for buildings and furniture.

Native to the South. These trees naturally grow in warm areas from the eastern United States all the way down through Mexico and Central America.