Quercus

Sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

36CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Liquidambar

  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Callosamia prometheaPromethea Moth
  • Citheronia regalisRegal Moth
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth
  • Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Ceratonyx satanariaHorned Ceratonyx
  • Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
Show all 36
  • Dasychira basiflavaYellow-Based Tussock Moth
  • Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
  • Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
  • Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Metaxaglaea viaticaRoadside Sallow
  • Nemoria elfaCypress Emerald
  • Nemoria saturibaBraided Emerald, Red-Spotted Emerald
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Paectes abrostoloidesLarge Paectes
  • Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Sciota uvinellaSweetgum Leafroller
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Coleotechnites vagatioella
  • Phyllocnistis liquidambarisella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
2BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Liquidambar

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
4BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Liquidambar

  • Aix sponsaWood Duck
  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Altingiaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow, green or inconspicuous
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Sweetgum

Conservation status

Kentucky rankS5
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources