Sweet Gum Tree Balls

The tradeoff for these perks is a source of aggravation for some gardeners.

Sweet gum tree balls. Summer shade and vibrant fall leaf color are merits of the sweet gum tree liquidambar styraciflua. This large tree provides shade in the summer gorgeous orange red and yellow leaves in the fall and is a great privacy barrier. It is theoretically possible to eliminate the balls each year but it is a difficult process. It is currently classified in the plant family altingiaceae but was formerly considered a member of the hamamelidaceae.

The chemical ethepon florel releases ethylene gas when it is sprayed onto the tree branches while sweetgum flowers are present in spring. Birth control injections for sweet gum trees. Additionally the sweet gum s spiky gum balls hang conspicuously from the tree s smaller. The fruit it bears provides food for many animals including squirrels wood ducks whitetail deer birds and beavers.

The tree s dark grayish brown twigs bear unusual corky ridges that lend the tree a peculiar angularity. The one major flaw of this deciduous tree is the hundreds of spiny woody. Many people think of sweet gum balls as a nuisance but they can be used to make many types of crafts. A fast growing tree the sweetgum offers plenty of shade while growing well in a vast range of soils and moisture levels.

These seeds are often called porcupine balls because they are covered in small barbs. Round spiny fruits or balls that litter the ground making a simple walk across the yard a precarious one. With its tall straight stature streak patterned wood and glossy leaves that become vibrantly colorful in the fall sweet gum trees are an attractive addition to any front yard. It is recognizable by the combination of its five pointed star shaped leaves and its hard spiked fruits.

Sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern united states and is a popular ornamental tree in temperate climates. The sweet gum s primary liability according to the makers of this list are the thousands of spiny brown seed balls gum balls if you will that it casts upon the ground around it. This plant s genus. Sweet gum balls are the seeds that fall from sweet gum trees.

The spiky clusters are actually balls of fruit with tiny seeds inside that birds and squirrels snack on. By mid fall the balls are dead and seedless. According to the lazy landscaper these hard brown spiky balls that can create some serious hazards. Let s not forget about the beauty of the sweet gum ball tree itself.

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