Sweet gum roots are highly invasive, often growing near the soil surface and damaging sidewalks, pavements, and other infrastructure. The species also produces prolific hard, round fruits that litter the ground and are often a tripping hazard. Sweet gum trees have attractive fall foliage. Sweet gum fruits.
If you are clearing land to build a house and happen upon a sweetgum, I hope that you will think twice before cutting it down. If you enjoy colorful fall foliage, butterflies and moths, and birds, and if you can find a place for the tree in your landscape, do so.
The sweetgum is a fast-growing tree that can reach heights up to 100 feet. In summer its plentiful maple-like leaves make it a very effective shade tree. In the 1940's several cities promoted planting sweetgums as replacements for elms killed by Dutch elm disease. However it has fallen out of favor in landscaping.
Sweet gum trees have brittle limbs that break and fall unexpectedly. The Sudden Branch Drop Syndrome causes tree branches to fall suddenly during hot months, even in low wind conditions. There are also theories that the tree rapidly cuts the water supply to a limb, leading to limb drop.
From many perspectives the sweetgum is a good tree for the urban landscape. It grows fast in almost any soil, has good fall color and has few serious insect or disease problems. But the typical seedling sweetgum has a flaw - it makes sweetgum balls.
Sweet gums, often called “gumball” trees, are a nuisance because they annually drop hundreds of round, prickly seed capsules that can be easy to slip on when walking and are difficult to clean up.
Sweetgum Is Not Toxic To Dogs 🐶 Sweetgum trees are safe, but watch out for spiky seed balls. 🐶 Chewing Sweetgum leaves? Rarely a vet visit, but moderation is key.
Although there are chemicals that can suppress fruiting on sweet gums, preventing fruit on large, well-established trees is not practical. The chemicals available are hormone-based products that can help reduce fruit set. Applications usually have to be done by a professional arborist.
Sweetgum resin has a pleasant odor and is used commercially for flavors, fragrances, and in pharmaceuticals. It was once used as a form of chewing gum and used medicinally. Liquidambar styraciflua (translated to “amber resin”) is an apt name for this tree.
This invasive species can quickly take over any area in no time with its medium to fast growth rate. The most effective method of ridding your property of these trees is by removing the tree permanently. This can be accomplished easily by mulching the tree in early spring prior to the gum ball fruit forming.
Sweetgum balls can be run through a chipper for mulch, but should not be composted as they take years to decompose.
Other extracts derived from sweetgum trees have shown potential as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and chemopreventive agents. The compounds found in the extracts derived from sweetgum sap suppress hypertension in mice.
Most of the imazapyr based herbicides do a great job of killing sweetgum trees!
Sweet gum roots are highly invasive, often growing near the soil surface and damaging sidewalks, pavements, and other infrastructure. The species also produces prolific hard, round fruits that litter the ground and are often a tripping hazard. Sweet gum trees have attractive fall foliage. Sweet gum fruits.
Much of the root system is shallow (particularly in its native, moist habitat), but there are deep vertical roots directly beneath the trunk in well-drained and in some other soils.
Erosion Control: Sweetgum is a good choice as a windbreak tree because of its fast growth and tolerance of a wide variety of sites. Wildlife: Its seeds are eaten by birds, squirrels, and chipmunks.
If you're up for some experimenting, sweet gum balls can be used to make a tea from boiling the young green seeds. The resulting decoction is known for its antiviral properties and can be used as a preventative measure against sickness, or as a remedy for the flu (consult your doctor if symptoms persist).
These are unrelated trees that are called gums for entirely different reasons. Sweet gum got its name in the way we might expect, from its sticky sap. Dissect the Latin name, and you reveal a wonderfully poetic tribute to this sap—Liquidambar meaning liquid amber and styraciflua, flowing with storax or aromatic resin.
However, the sweetgum tree is exceptionally messy. The tree's annoying seed pods are round, hard, and spikey, making them difficult to clean up. But you will need to clean up after this tree if you don't want to be stepping on and tripping over these pods all fall and winter.
Liquidambar styraciflua
The American sweetgum is known for its distinctive five-pointed leaves which are said to smell like mango when pulled off the branch.
For the best chance of stopping the sweetgum balls, hire a certified arborist. The tree needs the injections right before it flowers in spring. Then, the flowers drop, preventing the balls from ever forming. It's a narrow but critical window.
Sweet Gum Tree Removal
Homeowners may pay anywhere from $700 to $1,500, depending on the roots. With star-shaped leaves and stunning fall colors, the sweet gum is considered a medium to large tree.
In addition to the sap, the leaves, bark, and seeds of sweetgum also possess beneficial compounds such as shikimic acid, a precursor to the production of oseltamivir phosphate, the active ingredient in Tamiflu®-an antiviral drug effective against several influenza viruses.