Sweetgum is known for its unique starshaped leaves with outstanding yellow, red, and purple fall color. May 31, 2018 other websites i visited, stated in a nutshell that sweet gum tree medicinal uses when made into a balsam or salve, it is used for skin conditions, hemorrhoids, ringworm scabies and frostbite. Native americans traditionally used the inner bark and resin to help wounds, sore throats, coughs, and to treat infectious diarrhea. The hardened sap, or gum resin, excreted from the wounds of the sweetgum, for example, the american sweetgum liquidambar styraciflua, can be chewed on like chewing gum and has been long used for this purpose in the southern united states. Its seeds are eaten by birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. Sweetgum is a good choice as a windbreak tree because of its fast growth and. Sweet gum trees are found throughout the eastern united states. This common name helps to differentiate from a different gum tree species black gum nyssa sylvatica. For a new world tree, it is interesting to note its. In china, the spiky fruit of the sweet gum tree has been used in herbal medicines as a cure for indigestion and anemia. Eliminate costly maintenance of sweet gum trees in the fall. Cherokee indians used the inner bark to make a green tea infusion as a sedative to calm nerves. Sweetgum is also used for interior plies of sheathing plywood. 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.
If a sweet gum is flowering when the chemical induces ethylene production, it responds by aborting the flowers. Aug 07, 2019 eucalyptus is a popular evergreen tree thats widely used for its medicinal properties. Sweet gum tea was used as an herbal treatment for the flu and the cherokee made a tea out of the bark. Taken internally, liquidamber has stimulant and expectorant effects. Its considered a valuable tree used for lumber and furniture production, as well as for ornamental purposes.
Rainfall interception of three trees in oakland, california. Sweet gum sap has caught the attention of medical researchers, and we know that much of its folkloric uses are now backed with scientific reasoning. As a remedy for catarrhs of genitourinary passages, coughs of pulmonary affection generally, gonorrhoea, gleet, amenorrhoea, leucorrhoea, phthisis wasting disease, tuberculosis of the lung, consumption and asthma. When the outer bark of the tree has been damaged, the formosa sweet gum tree exudes styrax. Liquidambar, commonly called sweetgum star gum in the uk, gum, redgum, satinwalnut, or american storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family altingiaceae and has 15 species. Technical guidelines for genetic conservation and use for.
However, sweet gum does give off a decent amount of heat and the wood is capable of heating your home. The gum from these trees has been used as chewing gum and even employed to concoct medicines and salves to cure a variety of ailments, treat wounds and serve as an important ingredient in adhesives. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 314 pages and is available in paperback format. Sweetgum wood is used to make veneer, plywood, cabinets and furniture. In the rural south, it was used as a substitute for chewing gum. It can be an excellent shade tree in the right location, away from foot traffic where the spiky gumball fruits will not be an annoyance. Make sure you guys appreciate us and dont forget to like, share and subscribe. The tree gum pods have sweet seeds that birds, chipmunks and squirrels eat.
The specific application that we use to apply to sweet gum trees must be applied in a very short window, otherwise will not work. Nov 01, 2019 sweet gum sap has caught the attention of medical researchers, and we know that much of its folkloric uses are now backed with scientific reasoning. A resin obtained from the trunk of the tree see uses notes below is antiseptic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, parasiticide, poultice, salve, sedative, stimulant, vulnerary. How to get a sweet gum tree to stop producing balls hunker. Extracts from the sap have shown promise in fighting drugresistant bacteria and hypertension. And this year might be the year to give special thought to the foundation that celebrates arbor day on april 24. A deflowering agent for sweet gum trees that is used to eliminate young flowers before they fertilize to form gum balls. Sweetgum is an important crop tree in many managed southern bottomlands, usually mixed with other.
Indians of alta verapaz have been known to bathe in leaf extractions of the tree as well to treat. During the 16 th century in eastern mexican cloud forests, temperate forests with high moisture from clouds and fog, the sweet gum was used in medicines, smoked with tobacco, and burned as incense. It is used for lowerend furniture, trim and veneer, plywood, joinery, and lowend uses like boxes and crates. Finally, sweetgum trees can fix nitrogen and promote soil health. And then, you press them together and encircle the head with them. They are native to southeast and east asia, western mediterranean and eastern north america. Indians of alta verapaz have been known to bathe in leaf extractions of the tree as well to treat gonorrhea when ingested.
Pesticide disposal if empty trash or offer for r th warranty and disclaimer statement tree tech microinjection systems warrants that this product conforms to the chemical description on the label and is reasonably fit for use under normal conditions when used strictly in accordance with the. My plan was to use them to build a carport type shelter for my atv, lawn mowers, wagons, etc. Young trees were tapped by wounding the bark as soon as the tree had completely leafed out. Botryosphaeria canker and dieback of trees and shrubs in. Sweet gum is a larval host plant for the beautiful luna moth. It is also used for adhesives, incense, perfuming powders, and soaps. Unless a special use permit is obtained, total camping days on all department areas are limited to a total of 30 days within one calendar year. If an appropriate space is available, check out the coldhardy cultivar, moraine, which is recommended for northern illinois. Stemflow was more important for the leafless sweet gum. Davids article on page 7 where we learn about the history and uses of the sweet gum tree. Sweetgum is primarily used for lumber, veneer, plywood, slack cooperage, railroad ties, fuel. They were formerly often treated in hamamelidaceae.
The first edition of the novel was published in may 12th 2005, and was written by katherine allred. Vegetation, including trees, may not be cut or destroyed. The lemon tree was most effective because it retained its foliage yearround, storing more winter rainfall than the leafless ginkgo and sweet gum trees. Rivers of sweet amber flowing beneath the bark of the sweet gum tree. Collecting or possessing wild plants and their unprocessed parts is prohibited except under the provisions of a valid letter of authorization for plant collecting, or as otherwise.
Be careful when locating formosa sweetgum as a street tree since its large, aggressive roots may eventually lift curbs and sidewalks. Sweetgum is an important crop tree in many managed southern bottomlands, usually mixed with other bottomland hardwoods sold for timber or for pulp. Tree tech snipper micro injection deflowering agent box of. Storax is used in medicinal and pharmaceutical preparations, especially salves for skin and mucous membranes. They are decorative deciduous trees that are used in the wood. If youre up for some experimenting, sweet gum balls can been used to make a tea from boiling the young green seeds. The bark of the sweet gum tree is gray to brown with deep ridges. It is a potent antifungal and an effective natural pesticide. Sweet gum trees liquidambar styraciflua are a common sight in the eastern united states and in several central american and southern mexican regions. It is recognizable by the combination of its fivepointed starshaped leaves similar to maple leaves and its hard, spiked fruits. The hardened gum, or rosin from the tree was used as chewing gum.
Liquidambar styraciflua sweetgum environmental horticulture. Sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the. One application of snipper in early spring causes premature death of developing flowers but does not affect foliage. Our american sweetgum is situated in a beautiful green area between oml and kroon hall. Im having several sweet gum logs milled soon and was thinking of having them milled into 2x and 4x lumber. Tree identification education sweet gum this tree can grow as high as 100 feet. The sticky or gummy sap of sweet gums serves a purpose for the tree. Find patient medical information for allergenic extract tree pollen sweet gum injection on webmd including its uses, side effects and safety, interactions, pictures, warnings and user ratings. If you need a lot of firewood i would suggested avoiding sweet gum. The lobed leaves are starshaped with findtoothed notches and pointed tips. But be careful when locating sweetgum, since aggressive roots may lift driveways and sidewalks. The sweetgum tree produces a fragrant gum resin or balsam terebinthine. Free download or read online the sweet gum tree pdf epub book. Sweetgum salves have a minor antiseptic value, but work well as an antiinflammatory.
Sweetgum is a good choice as a windbreak tree because of its fast growth and tolerance of a wide variety of sites. Groups of more than 10 people must obtain a special use permit prior to camping. Snipper indole3butyric acid by tree tech is a popular deflowering agent for sweet gum trees that is used to eliminate young flowers before they fertilize to form gum balls. The wood has a unique reddish brown color with sapwood thats nearly white and black grain running through the hardwood. Hundreds of plant genera, including both angiosperms flowering plants and conifers, are susceptible to botryosphaeria cankers and dieback. Also excellent for bloody flux, dysentery and all bowel complaints of children. Within chinese medicine, the properties of the sweet gum seed are also believed to be able to unblock energy pathways and enable the spread of qi, a vital force in traditional chinese medicine. The fruit are round and spikey, and may be a litter nuisance to some in the fall. Sweet gum contains nearly 10 per cent of impurities. The gum resin was highly sought after for several medical applications. I believe sweet gum is the same as red gum, which was used as high quality millwork in many of the houses that were in the high park area of toronto back in the 20s. Earl carter, a lumbee healer, treats cuts with sweet gum leaves.
These injections need to be made just before it flowers in spring. Some tribes used red oak bark as a medicine for heart troubles and bronchial infections or as an astringent, disinfectant, and cleanser. In addition to the potential medicinal uses of sweetgum extracts, the extracts of the. Sweet gum liquidamber styrifolia, the tree that we call a black gum is a tupelo nyassa sylvatica and is an upland tree and does produce a small amount of nectar but not a major source and its other family member is the water tupelo or nyassa aquatica which is the famed swamp tree of tupelo honey fame. The tree produces a light brown sap from the inner. Oct, 2020 rivers of sweet amber flowing beneath the bark of the sweet gum tree. Sweet gum, a tree of the witch hazel family hamamelidaceae, native of the eastern united states, also mexico and. Commercial sources for perfumery came from the orient. Once you have a fruiting tree, an entirely new variety of benefits is available to you. Externally, it is applied to sores, wounds, piles, ringworm, scabies etc. The lumbee indians used the buds, tops and rosin of sweet gum to treat diarrhea or dysentary. Resin from the sap of sweet gum tree is used in the drug storax.
Headache you take sweet gum leaves and put them in a vase. See more ideas about seed pods, sweet gum, tree seeds. Tree tech snipper micro injection deflowering agent box of 25. The gum is said to have antiseptic qualities, per the encyclopedia of edible plant of north america by dr. American sweetgum liquidambar styraciflua, also known as american storax, hazel pine, bilsted, redgum, satinwalnut, starleaved gum, alligatorwood, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern north america and tropical montane regions of mexico and central america. It is said to help clear the lungssinuses, have somewhat antiseptic properties, and can be used to treat scabies. Small crystals form as the air cools and congeals, slowly hardening the sweet smelling resin. The sap was also believed to be a cure for sciatica, weakness of nerves, etc. Chips are able to be used as a source of biomass fuel.
Pdf the sweet gum tree book by katherine allred free. To obtain a special use permit, contact the area manager at the phone number listed for this area in the area details. Salves were used to treat sores, wounds and ulcers. Sweet gum is a great wood, but it cups and twists when it dries. The fruit may be a litter nuisance to some in the fall, but this is usually only noticeable on hard surfaces, such as roads, patios, and sidewalks. Bleeding through and covering the body with the slightest wound, slowly moving down the body of the tree. The bark has astringent properties and addresses dysentery and diarrhea. It is worth every effort because sweet gum is capable of producing enough heat to cook various meals. During ww ii, the taiwanese sources were cut off and clarke county, ala. The following list includes some common landscape trees and shrubs. 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. It is chewed in the treatment of sore throats, coughs, asthma, cystitis, dysentery etc. If you cut it extra thick and pile a ton of brick on the pile as it dries, you can get something to use when it is dry. Sweet gum probably has virtues similar to the concrete juice of styrax officinale, which see.
Recently, the sap has been used as an antimicrobial agent against staphylococcus aureus, a methicillinresistant bacteria. Northern red oak is commonly planted as a landscape tree in eastern north america and europe used as a shade tree on lawns, parks. Sweet gum was traditionally used as an incense and medicine well before settlers came to the americas. Sweetgum the wood database lumber identification hardwood. The chemical breaks down into ethylene, a naturally occurring compound that sweet gum produces when under stress.
The fruit of this tree is easily recognizable, as it is a small round ballshaped pod with spikes. Sweetgum trees are important resources for medicinal and other. The main characters of this romance, contemporary story are alix french, nick anderson. In fact, its proven that sweet gum can produce up to 20.
If you have access to free sweet gum thats already processed or if you cut down a single tree in your yard and you need to get rid of the wood, sweet gum is fine to use. Feb 07, 2018 the sweet gum grows in a long list of states, thinning to a more patchy distribution as it spreads southward into mexico and central america. We need your valuable suggestions for improvements and feedback. Burning sweet gum with firewood is not common, but you can do it. Introducing such a chemical alters sweet gum s natural hormone levels, prompting the tree to abort its fruits. An ancient source of beneficial compounds with modern. In addition to the potential medicinal uses of sweetgum extracts, the extracts of the sap. Sweet gum is one of the main valuable forest trees in the southeastern united states, and is a popular ornamental tree in temperate climates. It offers a calming presence in the heart of the science buildings at yale, and is surely a special tree to observe, especially in the autumn. At one time, the trees twigs were even used as toothbrushes.
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