Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

American sweetgum tree (fruit and fall foliage)

Liquidambar styraciflua

Description:

American sweetgum trees are among the last deciduous trees in the mid-Atlantic region to change color and drop their leaves. Seems like Mother Nature saved the best for last -- Sweetgum trees go out in a blaze of glory! Leaves change color from green to yellow to red to a rich reddish-purple. Photo 1 shows Sweetgum tree "fruit"; all photos show fall foliage. Photos 4-5 show a Sweetgum tree leaf, identified in situ using "Leafsnap" app for Apple iOS mobile devices.

Habitat:

Landscape planting in a green space between commercial buildings.

Notes:

© Copyright 2011 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved. www.wsanford.com

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

11 Comments

Latimeria
Latimeria 12 years ago

Thanks for the link. I was somewhat aware you could browse the leaf shapes, but that's not the quickest way to an ID. But, if I'm completely lost, that's probably what I'll have to resort to.

Geodialist
Geodialist 12 years ago

"Leafsnap" works very well, Derek. In my somewhat limited experience, Leafsnap failed to correctly ID a leaf sample two times: 1) an evergreen tree, called a "Metasequoia" by a woman on whose property the tree is located; and 2) dark-colored leaves, such as deep reddish-purple Sweetgum leaves. Re: failure No. 2, I speculate it's caused when the app compares the white leaf shape against a black background (see Photo 5, above) -- I think Leafsnap can't create the white shape when the leaf specimen is dark, resulting in a black-on-black image and epic failure! BTW, all is not lost for Android users! Are you aware that you can browse the Leafsnap species images online? http://leafsnap.com/species/

Latimeria
Latimeria 12 years ago

What I learned after taking a Botany class is that I'm thoroughly dissatisfied with the popular perception of a fruit: it's much too narrow! Geodialist, I see you used the LeafSnap app, how has that worked for you? I'm hoping they will release an Android version soon, but I was hoping for it back in July...

AnnaWhipkey
AnnaWhipkey 12 years ago

To add to the confusion, many culinary vegetables are botanically fruits (e.g. tomato, cucumber, squash, eggplant). Botanically the pea pod is a fruit while the pea is a seed.

iamcherreymaiya
iamcherreymaiya 12 years ago

interesting.. we learn something out from confusion.. :-)

KristalWatrous
KristalWatrous 12 years ago

The botanical definition of a fruit is a structure which contains seeds. The commercial or grocery definition of a fruit is more like what you're thinking Alice. So botanically the spikey ball is the fruit of this tree, containing the seeds.

Geodialist
Geodialist 12 years ago

A few months ago, I agreed with you completely, Alice. Then I did a little research, and now I'm thoroughly confused! ;-)

CarolSnowMilne
CarolSnowMilne 12 years ago

This is such helpful guide for research. :)

alicelongmartin
alicelongmartin 12 years ago

It is probably only my different perception. Seeds are in the fruit, but I think of fruit as often being consumable and plenty of plants produce the seeds without a consumable fruit, so in my mind I think of it as a seed pod. Don't get bothered because I feel you are right too.

Geodialist
Geodialist 12 years ago

The "prickly ball" is called "fruit," according to "Leafsnap" app. My current thinking is "fruit" and "seed pods" are synonyms -- can anyone tell me whether there's a technical difference between the terms?

alicelongmartin
alicelongmartin 12 years ago

I question that the prickly ball is fruit, it is more likely a seed pod. Attractive Fall color.

Geodialist
Spotted by
Geodialist

Hybla Valley, Virginia, USA

Spotted on Nov 20, 2011
Submitted on Nov 20, 2011

Related Spottings

Liquidambar Liquidambar styraciflua (Liquidámbar) Liquidambar. Sweetgum Liquidámbar

Nearby Spottings

American sweetgum tree (fruit) Silk Tree flowers and fruit Trumpet vine fruit and seeds Trumpet vine flowers and fruit
Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team