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Copalme d'Amérique

Copalme d'Amérique

Liquidambar styraciflua
Un arbre de canopée indigène des forêts de l'est de l'Amérique du Nord aux feuilles étoilées à 5 lobes emblématiques offrant des couleurs d'automne remarquables en rouge, violet et orange, une écorce ailée liégeuse distinctive sur les rameaux, et des capsules sphériques épineuses qui jonchent notoirement les pelouses (les « boules de gomme »). Ces capsules constituent le principal inconvénient esthétique — le copalme est rarement planté dans les jardins formels pour cette raison. Choisissez des cultivars sans graines ('Rotundiloba', 'Slender Silhouette') pour les plantations résidentielles.
Native: 27 US states
Climate fit: broad (76/100)
Focal point
Structure
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
600-900" tall · 360" apart
Hardy in zones
5a-9b
very cold to frosty winters
AHS heat range
1-11
Plant range authored in AHS heat-zone terms.
Native in Illinois
Yes
A documented larval host for the Luna moth and 1 other species — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.

Cold hardiness

Future
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Well-suited
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Sources & citations

Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Copalme d'Amérique (Liquidambar styraciflua). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/liquidambar-styraciflua
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image