Popular Gum Trees Found In Several Plant Genera

Whatever group they’re in, gum trees gained their name because they ooze visible amounts of thick, gummy sap if the trunk surface is damaged. Note that sweetgums (Liquidambar spp.) and black gums (Nyssa sylvatica) are not related.
Almost all gum trees are native to Australia, where they’re the primary food of koalas. Over time, they’ve been cultivated in other tropical regions around the world, and some gum trees can even live in cooler locations such as Norway. However, in some regions, gums are considered an invasive species. Gum trees, which are readily identifiable by their smooth or stringy bark and lance-shaped leaves, have a variety of applications. Oil from gum tree leaves is used in many medications, and some people even like to chew on hardened chunks of sap. Honey is made by bees that visit the trees, and many species have wood that’s useful as lumber. In landscaping, gums are typically used as shade trees or specimen trees. Often as a way to recover from fires, some species form a lignotuber, an underground root tuber with buds that can produce new trunk stems as needed. A tree with this structure is called a mallee. Here are 12 popular gum species to consider.

Native Area: Southeastern Australia, TasmaniaUSDA Growing Zones: 8-10Height: 40+ feetSun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: New South Wales, AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 9–11Height: Up to 20 feetSun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Australia - TasmaniaUSDA Growing Zones: 7-10Height: 40+ feetSun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Southeastern AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 8–11Height: Up to 100 feetSun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Philippines, Papua New Guinea, IndonesiaUSDA Growing Zones: 10–11Height: 100-125 feet (200–250 feet in native habitat)Sun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Western AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 8–10Height: 10–30 feetSun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Western AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 9–11Height: Up to 40 feetSun Exposure: Full sun

Australian Scenics / Getty Images

Native Area: Western AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 8–11Height: Up to 100 feetSun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Southeastern AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 8–11Height: Up to 10 feet (Up to 60 feet in native habitat)Sun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Southeastern AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 9–11Height: 30 feetSun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Southeastern AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 7–10Height: 40 feet; depending on subspeciesSun Exposure: Full sun

Native Area: Southeastern AustraliaUSDA Growing Zones: 9–10Height: Up to 100 feetSun Exposure: Full sun