soap, with the added benefit of killing fish, which is handy for preparing 
a seafood lunch after a morning of laundering in the creek. The soapy 
fruits supply the Latin name Sapindus, from sapo indicus (“Indian soap”). 
Drummondii honors botanist Thomas Drummond. 
SWEETGUM — 
Liquidambar styraciflua 
The sweetgum, a favorite lawn tree 
around St. Louis, offers ease of cultiva- 
tion, unflinching tolerance of local condi- 
tions, fast growth, star-shaped leaves, py- 
Fie ramidal shape, and kaleidoscopic autumn 
yellows, oranges, reds, and purples, 
ih atie frequently on the same tree. There are 
ie? also thousands of golf ball sized, bristly 
Yr fruiting clusters, which add interest to the 
at mr. tree’s silhouette but are a nasty mess to 
# rake up. 
Sweetgum is related to the commonly 
cultivated shrub witch hazel (Hamamelis 
species), both belonging to the Witch 
Hazel Family (Hamamelidaceae). Examination of the fruits of both will 
help reveal their relationship (the sweetgum ball is a cluster of fruits). The 
comparison is most easily made in the Jenkins Daylily Garden, where a 
large Sweetgum and two species of witch hazel are displayed. 
Wild Missouri sweetgums are restricted to low, usually wet, woods in 
the southeastern corner of the state. The overall range is remarkable: 
Summer 
33 
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