What does sweetgum bark look like?
The bark on the trunk is light gray in color with deep, rounded ridges. In some trees (especially in the northern part of the range) the bark on the twigs and branches is one of the tree’s more distinctive features: it attaches by edges instead of by broad surfaces so that the twigs appear to be winged!
How did the sweetgum tree get its name?
Interesting Information About Plant: The tree gets its name from Native Americans and early pioneers who would chew its hard clumps of resin. This could be obtained by stripping off the bark and allowing the resin to harden.
How fast does a sweetgum tree grow?
This tree grows at a medium to fast rate, with height increases of anywhere from 13″ to more than 24″ per year.
Is a sweetgum tree a hardwood?
Sweet Gum is a hardwood. Even more, it is one of the most important hardwoods in the Southeastern US for manufacturing. In terms of hardness, it is a little higher in stiffness and strength than many species of hardwood.
What is sweet gum trees good for?
Sweetgum wood is used to make veneer, plywood, cabinets and furniture. 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.
Are sweet gum trees poisonous?
Sweet gum trees bloom with inconspicuous, yellowish-green flowers in the spring that turn to seedpods — which are often called gumballs — in the fall. The tree is not toxic to dogs and cats, but the seedpods do present a different type of health threat if your pet were to step on one.
Does sweet gum make good firewood?
While sweetgum is not very popular, it burns well in the stove. It produces a decent amount of heat among the firewood species. It produces nearly 21.3 million BTUs per cord.
Is sweet gum tree poisonous to dogs?
What is a sweetgum tree good for?
Can I sell sweet gum balls?
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.
What is sweetgum wood good for?
Sweet gum wood is valued for its attractive, interlocked grain. It easily takes on staining, painting and is moderately easy to shape and bore. 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.
Do squirrels eat sweet gum balls?
Sweet gum balls start out plump and green, but they dry as they mature. The spines become even spinier, and holes open up to reveal seeds inside the balls. These seeds are food for about 25 species of birds, chipmunks and squirrels, says Texas Parks and Wildlife.
How do you dispose of sweet gum balls?
After they’re bagged, you can dispose of them through your trash service, if allowed, run them through a chipper for mulch or find environmentally friendly ways to use them, such as for arts and craft projects. Do not attempt to compost the sweetgum balls whole, because they take years to decompose.
Is sweet gum invasive?
Sweetgum trees are considered pioneer trees. These are trees that can become invasive in an area because they take root easily from seeds and grow quickly, often excluding all other plants in the area.
Are sweet gum trees good for landscaping?
They make excellent lawn or shade trees in large landscapes. Sweet gum tree leaves have five to seven pointed lobes, and their shape will remind you of a star.
What is Altingiaceae?
Altingiaceae is a small family of flowering plants in the order Saxifragales, and are wind-pollinated trees that produce hard, woody fruits containing numerous seeds. The fruits have been studied in considerable detail. They naturally occur in Central America, Mexico, eastern North America, the eastern Mediterranean, China, and tropical Asia.
When did Altingiaceae diverge from the clade Hamamelidaceae?
The stem group Altingiaceae diverged from the clade [Hamamelidaceae + (Cercidiphyllaceae + Daphniphyllaceae)] in the Turonian stage of the Cretaceous Period, about 90 mya (million years ago). The crown group Altingiaceae is much more recent, originating in the Eocene, about 40 Mya. ^ Peter F. Stevens (2001 onwards).
Are Altingia and Semiliquidambar different species?
Previously, the genera Altingia and Semiliquidambar were also recognised, but these represent a rapid radiation and have been difficult to separate reliably. Semiliquidambar has recently been shown to be composed of hybrids of species of Altingia and Liquidambar. This result had been expected for some time.