SWEET GUM AND WITCH HAZEL 347 



Not only does the heartwood make a most attractive interior 

 finish, especially for panels, doors and woodwork in its natural 

 color — abroad it is often called satin walnut — but it takes stain 

 so well that it is often made into mahogany, oak and walnut 

 furniture. Sapwood and the common grades go into boxes, 

 cheap furniture, flooring, staves, etc. There is a large export 

 trade in the heartwood, possibly as much as 50% of the supply 

 going to England, France and Germany, where its beauty for in- 

 terior finishing was recognized earlier than it was in this country. 



The sweet gum occasionally grows to a height of 150 feet and 

 a diameter of 5 feet. Such dimensions are, however, unusual 

 and the average diameter of large trees is perhaps 30 to 36 inches, 

 indicating a normal age of from 150 to 350 years, the size being 

 dependent on the habitat. The trees of the rich bottoms of the 

 south Atlantic coastal plain grow much faster than those of the 

 lower Ohio valley. The stem is straight and columnar and until 

 the height growth is attained the high trunk and conical crown 

 make it resemble a conifer. After reaching its height growth it 

 branches freely and the crown becomes rounded and spreading. 

 Its deeply furrowed bark and cork winged twigs are familiar to 

 every explorer of swamps in our southern states. 



The earliest popular name, sweet gum, doubtless originated 

 from the local use for chewing of the sweetish gum obtained from 

 the tree. The later name, red gum, refers to the reddish brown 

 color of the heartwood and its use has become increasingly com- 

 mon since the decorative qualities and commercial possibilities 

 of the wood have come to be appreciated. It might be stated 

 parenthetically that the red gum is not related to the black, cot- 

 ton and tupelo gums so common in similar situations throughout 

 the southeastern United States, which belong to the genus Nyssa 

 and are related to the dogwood. 



The red gum belongs to the genus Liquidambar, a name derived 

 from the latin for amber colored gum in allusion to the balsamic 

 exudation or gum which it yields. The tree is a native from 

 southwestern Connecticut to southeastern Missouri and south- 

 ward to peninsular Florida and eastern Texas. It reappears in a 

 closely related form known as the variety mexicana in the uplands 



