Connecticut discontinuously to Central America. Within this entire distri- 
bution, one of the largest trees watches over New Madrid County, Mis- 
souri, at the Hunter-Dawson Historic Site. It is 118 feet tall with a trunk 
almost six feet in diameter. 
Sometimes called redgum due to red tones in the wood, this species is 
an important North American hardwood lumber tree. The wood is hard 
and polishes well, and its uses have included decorative trim as well as 
paving for roads. 
Liquidambar styraciflua 
Sweetgum is sometimes fragrant, and tests have shown city air under 
sweetgums to be lower in smog than surrounding air. The fragrance 
comes from the gum to which the tree owes its name. Liquidambar is a mix 
of Latin and Arabic for “liquid amber”, and styraciflua means “liquid 
styrax”, likening the sweet gum of our tree to that of the Old World Styrax 
officinalis, the source of the original fragrance storax (or styrax). Known as 
copalm balm (or sometimes misleadingly as styrax or storax), the gum 
from Liquidambar styraciflua was once shipped to Europe from New 
Orleans and Mexico for incense, perfumes, ointments, chewing gums, 
medicines, and flavorings. 
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