Why are sweetgum trees bad?
According to the Lazy Landscaper, these “hard, brown, spiky balls that can create some serious hazards. Not only can they wound you if you slip and fall into them, they can also roll unexpectedly, causing sprained ankles.” Because of their spiky nature, they are difficult to rake up.
Is a sweet gum tree good for anything?
Sweet gum wood is commercially used for electronic cabinetry, furniture, doors, millwork and paneling. It is also used to make baskets, railroad ties, crates and pallets. Sweet gum wood is also used to make plywood, veneer and upholstered furniture frames.
Is sweetgum a fast growing tree?
Growth Rate This tree grows at a medium to fast rate, with height increases of anywhere from 13″ to more than 24″ per year.
Are sweet gum trees messy?
The seed pods do make sweetgum among the messiest of trees to grow. Not only are they messy for you, but they are also potentially messy for your neighbors. If you live uphill from a neighbor, the gumballs may roll downhill onto the neighbor’s property when they drop.
What is the lifespan of a sweetgum tree?
150 years
However, this long-lived tree – the sweet gum can live more than 150 years -doesn’t flower or produce seed for the first 15 to 20 years of its growth.
Is there any use for sweet gum balls?
Are sweetgum tree balls edible? 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.
Do sweet gum balls decompose?
Do not attempt to compost the sweetgum balls whole, because they take years to decompose. Always use gloves when picking them up to protect your hands against the sharp spines.
Is a sweetgum tree a hardwood?
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is one of the most important commercial hardwoods in the Southeastern United States. Its wood is bright reddish brown (with the sapwood nearly white) and may have black grain in the heartwood; it is heavy, straight, satiny, and close-grained, but not strong.
Do sweetgum trees have deep roots?
Plant trees 8 to 10 feet or more from curbs. Some communities have large numbers of Sweetgum planted as street trees. 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.
How do I stop my sweet gum tree from producing balls?
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.
Where can you find sweetgum trees in the United States?
History/Lore. The Sweetgum tree is native to the southeastern United States and a member of a genus made up of only six species. The others are found only in Asia.
What do leaves look like on sweetgum tree in fall?
Leaves turn yellow-purple-red in the fall, and stay on the tree quite late. Its shape is pyramidal, becoming more rounded with age. Avoid polluted sites.
What kind of animals eat sweetgum tree fruit?
Small mammals such as chipmunks, red squirrels and gray squirrels also enjoy the fruits and seeds. The Sweetgum tree is native to the southeastern United States and a member of a genus made up of only six species. The others are found only in Asia.