Six Great Things To Use Sweetgum Balls For: The spiky seed pods from the sweetgum tree are not only fascinating to look at, they can actually help out in the garden. (1989) Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.). Sweetgum was mentioned in writing by historians traveling with Cortes who witnessed the Aztecs using sweetgum to flavor the tobacco they smoked. Sweet gum is a larval host plant for the beautiful luna moth. Numerous insects feed on the Sweet Gum tree. The flu, or Influenza is caused by a virus. Additionally, there are several species of mushroom that grow on the bark. Sweet gum is hardy in zones 5-9. After initial drying, Sweet Gum wood is stable and should not be expected to move much. Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.): Extraction of Shikimic Acid Coupled to Dilute Acid Pretreatment. Sweet gum, a tree of the Witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae), native of the eastern United States, also Mexico and Central America. 2010 Virginia Natural History Society. The tree … Let me know what can be done with this wood, it's beautiful! Let me know what can be done with this wood, it's beautiful! The vicious seed pods have impaled many a forager and has done much to ruin the Sweet Gums reputation. Who knew?! T. D. Faust, R. H. McAlister, S. J. Zarnoch. The sweet gum tree has long been used for medicinal purposes and as a source of hardwood for furniture. Sweet gums are native to North America and Asia and are valued as a source of resin and timber. Flag. For coughs and respiratory congestion due to colds, the gum can be taken for expectoration or for sore throat. Mature leaves are 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm.) (eds) Trees II. [6] The Powhatan Indians utilized dried bark mixed with bark of Red Oak to make an infusion used to treat dysentery. We have loads of color, and I’ve been enjoying some of my favorite trees as I drive around the community. An amazingly iconic and dominate specimen of Australian flora is the Eucalyptus tree or more commonly known as the Gum tree.The name Eucalyptus, being derived from Greek eu – well – kaluptos – covered, a clear reference to its unique flowers. Follow. This plant's genus name Liquidambar was first given by Linnaeus in 1753 from [the Latin] liquidus, fluid, and the Arabic ambar, amber, in allusion to the fragrant terebinthine juice or gum which exudes from the tree.Its specific epithet styraciflua is an old generic name meaning "flowing with storax" (a plant resin). In this article I will detail what these uses are, and how they are utilized. Gum Tree Gum Tree Spiritual Meaning and Medicinal Uses. She is the author of, Stable Root Cellar Conditions Treat Your Vegetables Right, Produce Profile: Growing Sage Is Just Smart, Spotlighting Babydoll Southdown Sheep & Knitted Goods At Timber Creek Farm. It grows fast for a rapid harvest, yielding lumber and veneer for furniture-making. There is quite a lot of good wrapped up in this amazing tree. I built a barn for a vacation cabin and am using wood I saw to finish it out - hard maple flooring, building my own cabinets, etc. Your email address will not be published. You know, the black plastic trays that plants come in? Today, the active ingredient of the infertile sweetgum seeds, which contain high amounts of shikimic acid, is used in the preparation of Tamiflu, but other than that is … Sweet gum tree leaves have five to seven pointed lobes, and their shape will remind you of a star. December 17, 2007 This wreath is made from the seed pods from the sweet gum tree. [7]. The sweetgum is a monoecious species and is pollinated primarily by wind. It is a potent anti-fungal and an effective natural pesticide. So, the Sweet Gum tree allows us to have a renewable domestic source of the key ingredient of Tamiflu. Your email address will not be published. The fruit it bears provides food for many animals including squirrels, wood ducks, whitetail deer, birds, and beavers. The deeply cut grey or … Erin E. Morgan, James E. Perry, [8] – A Guide to Medicinal Plants of Appalachia. Splitting Sweet Gum. Thanks for watching! If you’d like to grow your own sweet gum, first understand that it’s a commitment to a tree that many describe as a nuisance. Our experts will call you on your preferred time. The seeds contained within all those spikes are anticonvulsant and have possible applications for epilepsy. Production is near an all-time high, and the supply has been slowly increasing because sweetgum grows and reproduces well. Sweet gum wood is a favorite for furniture, and the sap is added to tincture of benzoin and found often in incense. We have a sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) in the front yard. Sweet gum resin or sap may stick to your teeth. Along the rivers of the south-eastern United States, Sweet gums exceed 125 ft. in height and 4 ft. in diameter. I make over 50... DIY Plastic Plant Tray Holder - Gardening Hack. Second to that is the sweet gum. Names. Native Americans traditionally used the inner bark and resin to help wounds, sore throats, coughs, and to treat infectious diarrhea. Liquidambar, commonly called sweetgum (star gum in the UK), gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. Medicinally today it is used in a lot of common off the shelve products including cough and cold syrups and rubs helping relative congestion. This one surprised me! Sweet gum wood, though, has been another story. The Cherokee utilized the Sweet Gum tree (bark/sap) as a Diaphoretic, Febrifuge, Dermatological treatment and as a general medicine. This one surprised me! Ever since the days of the Aztec Empire, the sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) has been of great use. It is used for its lumber, and is one of the most common sources of hardwood and plywood, but also produces spectacular colors as it drops its leaves in the fall. Uses for sweet gum tree: The sweet gum is a perfect choice for parks, large lots, and street plantings (as long as the tree's massive roots are not in the way). The Sweet Gum tree is the sand spur of the forest. Print. There is error while submitting your request. Go out with a bucket and fill it with seed pods, and in the spring you may just use some: 1. Common Uses: Veneer, plywood, furniture (speaker/acoustic cabinets), interior trim, boxes/crates, and turned objects. It is rated as a fast growing tree and will tolerate moist soils. In the past, this tree has been used for the making of soaps, adhesives, and in medicines, particularly by Native Americans. From pioneers to modern day children have known how to obtain chewing gum from the Sweet Gum tree. Uses for sweet gum tree: The sweet gum is a perfect choice for parks, large lots, and street plantings (as long as the tree's massive roots are not in the way). This year, however, it has finally come into its own. Eucalyptus tree Oil produced predominantly by the leaves can be used for cleaning, a natural insecticide, and has therapeutic and medicinal properties. The resin also serves many medicinal purposes. Research has shown that the mechanical properties of Sweet Gum meet or exceed the Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera. Truthfully, it is probably my favorite fall color. If you’d like to grow your own sweet gum, first understand that it’s a commitment to a tree that many describe as a … They are decorative deciduous trees that are used in the wood industry and for ornamental purposes. Better Than Wild Bird Feeders? Share. You’ll have to love the tree for all its other qualities. Many internet sources and people over-complicate the art of making compost. In the South Eastern United States, Sweet Gum trees are utilized for lumber and furniture making. They were formerly often treated in Hamamelidaceae. The name Gum tree originated from the sap excreted from the bark that looks gum like … Extracts from the sap have shown promise in fighting drug-resistant bacteria and hypertension. The sticky or gummy sap of sweet gums serves a purpose for the tree. Qualities and Uses for Sweet Gum A small sawmiller sees his first load of Gum wood, and gets advice about its value and how to handle it. Quiet Chickens? Native Americans and pioneers also used the sap for a number of medicinal purposes. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, vol 5. The fruit was once used by the Cherokee Indian tribes as a medicinal tea for treatment of flu symptoms. Related Articles: None available. Welcome to Growit Buildit! This includes bark beetles, leaf hoppers and others. Sweet gum is a larval host plant for the beautiful luna moth. Native Americans used a decoction of leaves or roots as a wash to treat injuries. Read on to learn the details of these uses of the Sweet Gum tree (with references). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Trained in ethnobotany, she travels across the country to speak about botanical wellness using functional foods and home health proficiency. Several species are … While you wait, the tree has much to offer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Either that or make small boxes. The sweetgum produces a resin that can harden and be used for chewing gum as well as medicinal purposes. When cut, it exudes a sticky, resinous gum or balsam. Sweet Gum trees have interlocked grain that will result in potentially high amounts of lumber warping during the drying process regardless of saw method. Email. Historically, in parts … It is not, however, sweet. Comments: Not to be confused with various Australian species in the Eucalyptus genus that are also referred to as “red gum.” Related Species: None available. I might change my mind about which tree I love the best in fall. By Arnold Krochmal, Russell S. Walters, Richard M. Doughty. Perhaps it is time for some rehabilitation. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It is used for a variety of purposes, with furniture, plywood, containers, and pulp requiring the most volume. Only time will tell. [7] – Traditional Medicinal Plant Use Among Virginia’s Powhatan Indians. The Sweet Gum tree has high value to all levels of the ecosystem. You painfully find them with your feet. This can be used as chewing gum. I hope to share some of my knowledge with you! Tamiflu is distilled from shikimic acid, which is present in the Sweet Gum tree. Required fields are marked *. Resin from the sap of Sweet Gum tree is used in the drug Storax. We show you how to make it look like a million bucks for the price of a few bucks! If you have hard, compacted soil that you are trying to amend, dig deep and place a thick layer of the seed pods down to help aerate and drain–cover back up with soil and other amendments The pods would also be great for making wreaths or ornaments. This is a guide about uses for sweet gum balls. The lumber from Sweet Gum heartwood has a dark rich color and is often used for speaker boxes and various forms of furniture, cabinetry, or doors [1]. The American sweet gum tree was so named because of the amber-colored, resinous sweet sap that was scraped from the inside of the bark to produce a chewing gum-like substance. This large tree provides shade in the summer, gorgeous orange, red, and yellow leaves in the fall, and is a great privacy barrier. I enjoy designing/building projects (with hand tools when I can!). This is because it inhibits the protein that allows the virus to burst from it’s host cell. [2] So, Sweet Gum lumber could be used in general construction pending the expected loads. June 22, 2005. Hi - I grew up outdoors in nature - hiking, fishing, hunting. My mother bought it for me as a birthday present—I can’t remember which birthday, and that probably means it was quite some time ago. Sweet Gum trees are commonly used as ornamental trees, and/or landscaping. Back to Top link to Composting 102 - Building a Basic Compost Pile, link to DIY Plastic Plant Tray Holder - Gardening Hack, Trees II. The height and shape make them great shade trees and beautiful additions to landscape. Menu Ask a Question Share a Post Account Search. Infertile seeds of the Sweet Gum tree contain shikimic acid at 2.4-3.7%. Let’s not forget about the beauty of the Sweet Gum Ball Tree itself. [4] The bark of the Sweetgum tree contains about 1.7 mg/g of shikimic acid. That is what I intend to do with the beautiful sweet gum that I have. I will never try to use it in tables and furniture where flatness is important. A sweet gum is a deciduous tree in the witch hazel family that ranges in height from 60 to 100 feet and has a narrow oval canopy. When the seeds mature they turn black, but while they are still yellow they contain shikimic acid, the same ingredient in Tamiflu that was originally harvested only from star anise. We like to reuse plant 'flats' that you get from garden centers. To landscape throats, coughs, and can be easily identified thanks to its star-shaped leaves resinous sap results. Benzoin and found often in incense to 18 cm., Russell S. Walters, Richard M. Doughty beautiful... 1660€“1668 ( 2010 ) has shown that the leaves can be distilled with.. Have anti-inflammatory properties a virus is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties, by! 'S beautiful your sweet gum trees are found throughout the eastern United States, sweet gums exceed 125 in. 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