Side by side
Sweetgum or red maple? How to tell them apart
Liquidambar styraciflua · Acer rubrum
How to tell them apart – sweetgum: glossy, star-shaped leaf that is alternate, and spiky balls; red maple: maple with a three- to five-lobed leaf with a blue-white underside, small red flowers in March and fiery red autumn colour.
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How do you recognise them?
- Sweetgum
- Glossy, star-shaped, alternate leaf, corky ridges on the twigs and spiky balls.
- Compared with red maple: glossy, star-shaped leaf that is alternate, and spiky balls.
- Red maple
- Maple with a three- to five-lobed leaf with a blue-white underside, small red flowers in March and fiery red autumn colour.
| Sweetgum | Red maple | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, star-shaped with 5–7 pointed, finely toothed lobes, glossy. Smells resinous when crushed. | Opposite, 6–10 cm, with 3 (sometimes 5) shallow, irregularly toothed lobes; green above, blue-white below. Leaf stalk often red, without milky sap. |
| Flowering | April–May | Clusters of small red flowers on the bare branches, as early as March (March). |
| Fruit | Spiky, woody balls 2–4 cm across on a long stalk. | Small, red winged seeds at a sharp angle, ripe as early as May–June. |
| Bark | Grey-brown and furrowed; young twigs often have corky ridges. | Smooth and silver-grey for a long time, later darker and split into long plates; twigs and buds red. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 20–30 m | Broadleaf tree, 15–25 m (in gardens usually 10–15 m) |
| Site | Full sun, acid soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, acid soil, dry to wet |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Little | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | July–October |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Sweetgum (20–30 m) and red maple (15–25 m (in gardens usually 10–15 m)) both grow into large trees: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Sweetgum
- Plant profile: Red maple
- Sweetgum: when and how to prune
- Red maple: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.