In late fall when the bright green seed pods have dried, birds including purple finches, chickadees, Carolina wrens, towhees, titmice, dove and juncos consume the seeds; as do, squirrels and chipmunks. Lastly, if you are not a fan of the Sweetgum balls that litter the ground, consider using them as mulch.
On numerous occasions I have seen many birds feasting on sweetgum seeds. Among the species I've personally seen chowing down on them are red-winged blackbird, Carolina chickadee, dark-eyed junco, Carolina wren, chipping sparrow and northern cardinal.
I use a strong backpack blower. Blow them into a pile, then rake them onto a tarp and haul them off.
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).
Ecosystem Connections. Sweet gum seeds are eaten by many species of birds, including goldfinch, purple finch, sparrows, mourning doves, wild turkey, northern bobwhite, and wood duck, as well as by squirrels and chipmunks.
In late fall when the bright green seed pods have dried, birds including purple finches, chickadees, Carolina wrens, towhees, titmice, dove and juncos consume the seeds; as do, squirrels and chipmunks. Lastly, if you are not a fan of the Sweetgum balls that litter the ground, consider using them as mulch.
Prices vary, but you can get as much as $20 for 100 sweet gum balls. Hopefully, this has given you some ideas on how to make a little extra money, easily maintain a clean yard, and put those sweet gum balls to good use.
Sweetgum balls can be run through a chipper for mulch, but should not be composted as they take years to decompose.
They certainly have attractive fall colors, but come with some downsides. 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.
Sweetgum isn't an ideal food source for deer, but they'll still eat it as a 3rd choice browse plant.
Applications usually have to be done by a professional arborist. The first product is ethephon, which is sold as Florel Brand Fruit Eliminator®. The chemical ethepon (Florel) releases ethylene gas when it is sprayed onto the tree branches while sweetgum flowers are present in spring.
However, moderation is key, as with any non-food item. The seed balls, while not toxic, are not digestible and can be a choking hazard or cause intestinal blockages, especially in smaller breeds. It's best to keep an eye on your furry friend and provide plenty of dog-safe toys and treats to satisfy their gnawing needs.
Most of the imazapyr based herbicides do a great job of killing sweetgum trees!
Raking with a close-teeth rake and bagging is an efficient way of getting rid of the balls.
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.
Each sweetgum tree annually drops hundreds of round, prickly seed capsules that can be easy to slip on when walking and are difficult to clean up.
While they're not edible, the balls can double as spiky mulch to keep animals away from young plants. You can even get creative and use them to make holiday trinkets or decorative balls for bowls.
A similar look-alike seed ball–Sweet gum– has a similar size seed ball, but a much rougher exterior texture. Sycamore seed, cleaned of all their fluffy hairs are shaped like railroad spikes. NOT sycamore, these are sweet gum, a different wildlife food source.
If you grow hostas, the sweetgum balls make a great mulch to keep slugs away, and if neighborhood cats use your garden as a litter box, sweetgum mulch keeps them away.
Most gumballs have a freshness shelf-life of 18 months from their manufacture date. Gumballs.com has a freshness guarantee on all gumballs and candy. For any processed or manufactured food, the manufacturer is required to indicate a "best by" date or indicate when the product expires.
I advise folks to rake up the gum balls and toss them into the back of a flower bed or into a compost bin – they decompose and crumble eventually, and provide organic matter for our sandy soils. For what it's worth, some animals don't like walking on sweetgum balls either, nor do slugs like crawling on them.
The plant was used to treat colic, internal diseases and to “comfort the heart.” Wildlife: Goldfinches, purplefinches, mallard ducks, bobwhite quails, Carolina chickadees, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, white-throated sparrows, towhees, Carolina wrens, squirrels, and chipmunks eat the seeds of sweetgum trees.
Sweetgum tree seed capsules or 'gum balls' are a major nuisance. The good news is that they can be reduced with the aid of Florel fruit reduction spray. We have found this spray to be effective on many trees with 80 to 90% reduction rates in typical years.
In a few weeks, the Sweet Gum's glossy green leaves–five pointed stars–will emerge. Then a new crop of gumballs, green throughout the summer, but gradually drying out to become spiky brown seed-carrying hulls.