Question: Can sweet gums be grown in alkaline soils?

Answer: Sweet gums are native to East Texas for a reason. Soils there are acidic, meaning that the trees will be able to get as much iron as they need. Their worst problems arise in alkaline soils that are underlain by shallow caliche bedrock. Best advice: have your soil tested to determine its pH (acidity or alkalinity), ask your local nurseryman for precise recommendations for your area, and look around to see how other sweet gums are doing.