SWEETGUMS IN EL SALVADOR
The American sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) has a wide native range, all the way from Connecticut to Nicaragua. The distribution from Mexico to Nicaragua is separate from the U.S. part and is only at higher elevations. This includes parts of El Salvador. I found sweetgums in the mountains at around 4000 feet above sea level just south of the town of La Palma (along Central American Highway 4, or CA-4), in the northern part of the country.

These pictures were taken on November 10, 2007, shortly after the end of the rainy season in El Salvador. That combined with the lower sun angle resulted in a moderate amount of autumn color (though less than sweetgums in the United States, native or cultivated). All of these sweetgums appeared to be wild; I saw no cultivated (or apparently cultivated) sweetgums in this area. Most of the sweetgums were on north-facing slopes.

Several sweetgums along the side of the highway with mostly yellowish leaves:



Click here to see the full-resolution of the above pic.

Another view, with green leaves on branches near the ground:



Looking down at the ground...with fruits (note what appears to be a small oak--there were larger (evergreen) oaks in the area but with leaves resembling live oaks)...



View of a sweetgum on left and cecropia on right...



Here is a different patch of sweetgums a short distance away. Some of these had more of a magenta-purplish color...



Wider view (including bananas and hibiscus grown to the left)...



Close-up of the sweetgum with the greatest amount of autumn color...



Some sweetgums up the hill which had lost most of their leaves already...



And finally a nice view looking down the mountain slope (note that there was cultivation of non-native yuccas).



All of the above pictures on this page were taken on Nov. 10, 2007 by Brandt Maxwell.

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