Sweet Gum Tree Balls
The fruit it bears provides food for many animals including squirrels wood ducks whitetail deer birds and beavers.
Sweet gum tree balls. The tree s dark grayish brown twigs bear unusual corky ridges that lend the tree a peculiar angularity. It is currently classified in the plant family altingiaceae but was formerly considered a member of the hamamelidaceae. The spiky seed pods of the sweetgum tree are a nuisance to many gardeners. 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.
Additionally the sweet gum s spiky gum balls hang conspicuously from the tree s smaller. Just like leaves they must fall so the tree can prep for new growth. By mid fall the balls are dead and seedless. These seeds are often called porcupine balls because they are covered in small barbs.
Let s not forget about the beauty of the sweet gum ball tree itself. The only difference is sweetgum balls drop all fall and winter. Round spiny fruits or balls that litter the ground making a simple walk across the yard a precarious one. Birth control injections for sweet gum trees.
It is recognizable by the combination of its five pointed star shaped leaves and its hard spiked fruits. The one major flaw of this deciduous tree is the hundreds of spiny woody. This plant s genus. The barbs are carried to new locations when they latch onto animals fur.
Sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern united states and is a popular ornamental tree in temperate climates. 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. The tradeoff for these perks is a source of aggravation for some gardeners. A fast growing tree the sweetgum offers plenty of shade while growing well in a vast range of soils and moisture levels.
According to the lazy landscaper these hard brown spiky balls that can create some serious hazards. Summer shade and vibrant fall leaf color are merits of the sweet gum tree liquidambar styraciflua. Many people think of sweet gum balls as a nuisance but they can be used to make many types of crafts. It is theoretically possible to eliminate the balls each year but it is a difficult process.
Sweet gum balls are the seeds that fall from sweet gum trees.