A sweet gum is a deciduous tree in the witch hazel family that ranges in height from 60 to 100 feet and has a narrow oval canopy. 2010 Virginia Natural History Society. Sweet gum wood is a favorite for furniture, and the sap is added to tincture of benzoin and found often in incense. Related Articles: None available. The wood has a unique reddish brown color with sapwood that's nearly white and black grain running through the hardwood. Research has shown that the mechanical properties of Sweet Gum meet or exceed the Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera. Most people view sweet gum wood as a luxury that should be used for lumber and furniture production. The trees’ spike ball fruit is almost as telltale for identification as the star-shaped leaves. If you’d like to grow your own sweet gum, first understand that it’s a commitment to a tree that many describe as a nuisance. The first-known written mention of the American sweetgum dates back to 1519, when the resinous liquid amber was used in ceremonies between Spanish conquistador Cortez and Aztec emperor Montezuma. [7] – Traditional Medicinal Plant Use Among Virginia’s Powhatan Indians. Sweet gum, (genus Liquidambar), sometimes spelled sweetgum, genus of 15 species of deciduous trees, the only genus of the family Altingiaceae. Names. We are a husband and wife duo. Sweet gum has some surprising uses and it is beautiful in the fall. But in New York City, the sweet gum is a fairly common sight, growing best where there is rich, loamy soil with good moisture. This video is a day late, but it's here. Historically, in parts of Appalachia twigs would be soaked in water or brandy and then utilized to clean the teeth. The tree is particularly choice when it changes color in fall. Trained in ethnobotany, she travels across the country to speak about botanical wellness using functional foods and home health proficiency. Ever since the days of the Aztec Empire, the sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) has been of great use. It’s too late in the season to harvest sweet gum for its flu fighting abilities, but look for the immature pods next year. Sweet Gum : Medicinal Uses . My mother bought it for me as a birthday present—I can’t remember which birthday, and that probably means it was quite some time ago. Despite the world demand for liquidambar through the centuries, little was done with the yield of the North American sweet gum tree. Question I bought a new bandmill a few months ago for my own use. Follow. It grows fast for a rapid harvest, yielding lumber and veneer for furniture-making. Please let us know a convenient time to call you on, (*All time slots are available in CDT zone.). Its resin, for which the genus is named, is valuable in incense production and for various medicinal purposes. Splitting sweet gum is without a doubt going to be a challenge. The sweetgum is a monoecious species and is pollinated primarily by wind. Better Than Wild Bird Feeders? I hope to give you some tips and useful information! Share. Quiet Chickens? Medicinally today it is used in a lot of common off the shelve products including cough and cold syrups and rubs helping relative congestion. Please try again. Historically, in parts … Native Americans used a decoction of leaves or roots as a wash to treat injuries. The gum has long been harvested and used for chewing gum, but it is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties. Required fields are marked *. Truthfully, it is probably my favorite fall color. It's considered a valuable tree used for lumber and furniture production, as well as for ornamental purposes. Back to Top [5] Both of these can be distilled with water. This large tree provides shade in the summer, gorgeous orange, red, and yellow leaves in the fall, and is a great privacy barrier. Pin. I built a barn for a vacation cabin and am using wood I saw to finish it out - hard maple flooring, building my own cabinets, etc. She is the author of, Stable Root Cellar Conditions Treat Your Vegetables Right, Produce Profile: Growing Sage Is Just Smart, Spotlighting Babydoll Southdown Sheep & Knitted Goods At Timber Creek Farm. Sweet gum wood, though, has been another story. There is quite a lot of good wrapped up in this amazing tree. It takes the sweet gum tree 20 to 30 years to mature enough to produce its fruit. It is not, however, sweet. Sweet gum is a larval host plant for the beautiful luna moth. Medicinal use of Sweet Gum: A resin obtained from the trunk of the tree (see "Uses notes" below) is antiseptic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, parasiticide, poultice, salve, sedative, stimulant, vulnerary. After initial drying, Sweet Gum wood is stable and should not be expected to move much. It is used for its lumber, and is one of the most common sources of hardwood and plywood, but also produces spectacular colors as it drops its leaves in the fall. T. D. Faust, R. H. McAlister, S. J. Zarnoch. Used to treat ringworm. This includes bark beetles, leaf hoppers and others. I will never try to use it in tables and furniture where flatness is important. It is rated as a fast growing tree and will tolerate moist soils. Extracts from the sap have shown promise in fighting drug-resistant bacteria and hypertension. Their fall color lasts much longer than most other trees. [5] – Martin, E., Duke, J., Pelkki, M. et al. This year, however, it has finally come into its own. This is a pattern for all you Southern folks that have these seed pods to clean up every fall from your yard. Forest Sweetgum … The sweetgum has a Nahuatl name, Ocotzocuahuitl, which translates to tree that gives pine resin from ocotl (pine), tzotl (resin), cuahuitl (tree), which refers to the use of the tree's resin. [6] The Powhatan Indians utilized dried bark mixed with bark of Red Oak to make an infusion used to treat dysentery. So, the Sweet Gum tree allows us to have a renewable domestic source of the key ingredient of Tamiflu. This can be used as chewing gum. Who knew?! Copyright © 2020 EG Media Investments LLC. Liquidambar, commonly called sweetgum (star gum in the UK), gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. Second to that is the sweet gum. We have a sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) in the front yard. Production is near an all-time high, and the supply has been slowly increasing because sweetgum grows and reproduces well. This one surprised me! Uses for sweet gum tree: The sweet gum is a perfect choice for parks, large lots, and street plantings (as long as the tree's massive roots are not in the way). Read on to learn the details of these uses of the Sweet Gum tree (with references). Sweet gum wood is a favorite for furniture, and the sap is added to tincture of benzoin and found often in incense. I make over 50... DIY Plastic Plant Tray Holder - Gardening Hack. Splitting Sweet Gum. Sweet gum, a tree of the Witch hazel family (Hamamelidaceae), native of the eastern United States, also Mexico and Central America. Graduate Theses and Dissertations. Menu Ask a Question Share a Post Account Search. The deeply cut grey or … Today, the active ingredient of the infertile sweetgum seeds, which contain high amounts of shikimic acid, is used in the preparation of Tamiflu, but other than that is … I enjoy designing/building projects (with hand tools when I can!). This one surprised me! He with a love & extensive self-taught knowledge of NATIVE PLANTS, GARDENING, and woodworking. Comments: Not to be confused with various Australian species in the Eucalyptus genus that are also referred to as “red gum.” Related Species: None available. Birds eat the seeds from the pods, while rodents and squirrels eat seeds that fall to the ground. Once you have a fruiting tree, an entirely new variety of benefits is available to you. 0. Many internet sources and people over-complicate the art of making compost. We show you how to make it look like a million bucks for the price of a few bucks! Either that or make small boxes. The tree … [6] – Hutton, Kimberly, “A Comparative Study of the Plants Used for Medicinal Purposes by the Creek and Seminoles Tribes” (2010). We like to reuse plant 'flats' that you get from garden centers. An amazingly iconic and dominate specimen of Australian flora is the Eucalyptus tree or more commonly known as the Gum tree.The name Eucalyptus, being derived from Greek eu – well – kaluptos – covered, a clear reference to its unique flowers. Tamiflu is distilled from shikimic acid, which is present in the Sweet Gum tree. Composting 102 - Building a Basic Compost Pile. You know, the black plastic trays that plants come in? Gum Tree Gum Tree Spiritual Meaning and Medicinal Uses. I hope to share some of my knowledge with you! There is quite a lot of good wrapped up in this amazing tree. The sweetgum is a monoecious species and is pollinated primarily by wind. Go out with a bucket and fill it with seed pods, and in the spring you may just use some: 1. Sweetgum was mentioned in writing by historians traveling with Cortes who witnessed the Aztecs using sweetgum to flavor the tobacco they smoked. 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. Herb: Sweet Gum Latin name: Liquidambar styraciflua Family: Hamamelidaceae (Witch-hazel Family) Medicinal use of Sweet Gum: A resin obtained from the trunk of the tree (see "Uses notes" below) is antiseptic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, parasiticide, poultice, salve, sedative, stimulant, vulnerary. Liquidambar, commonly called sweetgum (star gum in the UK), gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. In the past, this tree has been used for the making of soaps, adhesives, and in medicines, particularly by Native Americans. Your email address will not be published. I've been growing plants from seed and designing native plant gardens for over six years. Shortening the duration and severity of the sweet gum tree ( Liquidambar styraciflua L. ) J. 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