Gum Tree Balls

Just like leaves they must fall so the tree can prep for new growth.

Gum tree balls. The spiky seed pods from the sweetgum tree are not only fascinating to look at they can actually help out in the garden. Additionally the sweet gum s spiky gum balls hang conspicuously from the tree s smaller branches sometimes all winter. The sweet gum got its name for the resinous sap that results when you score its bark. Most lawn mower vacuum systems clog up with the sweetgum balls and a standard mower shoots them out.

While you wait the tree has much to offer. The sweetgum tree liquidambar styraciflua produces an extremely spiked capsule containing one or two seeds in the summer. Six great things to use sweetgum balls for. As a monoecious plant a sweet gum bears male and female flowers.

This means that only one tree is needed for the flowers to be pollinated and a single tree can produce the spiky fruits even when another sweet gum tree is not in sight. These compound seed capsules are often confused with the seed heads of the. As previously mentioned sweetgum balls are the fruit of a medium to large size tree 65 155 feet tall with a trunk up to 6 feet across that can live for an extremely long time up to 400 years. 100 sweet gum tree balls spiked craft decor with monkey balls for holiday decoration and home parties thejamescanteenstore.

The infertile seeds of the sweet gum ball contain shikimic acid which is also contained in the same tree used to make tamiflu. If you re up for some experimenting sweet gum balls can been used to make a tea from boiling the young green seeds. By mid fall the balls are dead and seedless. Go out with a bucket and fill it with seed pods and in the spring you may just use some.

What are sweetgum balls. It takes the sweet gum tree 20 to 30 years to mature enough to produce its fruit. The distinctive compound fruit is hard dry and globose 1 1 5 inches 25 38 mm in diameter composed of numerous 40 60 capsules. Each capsule containing one to two small seeds has a pair of terminal spikes for a total of 80 120 spikes.

The round fruit balls are produced from fertilized flowers. The best method for removing sweetgum balls from the lawn raking or blowing. 5 out of 5 stars 59 59 reviews 12 95 free shipping add to favorites 24 silver sweet gum tree seed pods nature crafts woodland or rustic decor table scatter. The only difference is sweetgum balls drop all fall and winter.

Raking with a close tined rake and bagging is an effective way of removing the balls as well as for.