Sweet Gum Tree Seed Balls

Press the seeds into the perlite.

Sweet gum tree seed balls. Sweet gum balls are the seeds that fall from sweet gum trees. Goldfinches purple finches squirrels and chipmunks eat the seeds of the tree. Just like leaves they must fall so the tree can prep for new growth. Many people think of sweet gum balls as a nuisance but they can be used to make many types of crafts.

The sweetgum tree liquidambar sytraciflua is considered a nuisance in some areas of the united states because of its seed balls and brittle wood that drop from the tree creating a mess in the. The spiky clusters are actually balls of fruit with tiny seeds inside that birds and squirrels snack on. A fast growing tree the sweetgum offers plenty of shade while growing well in a vast range of soils and moisture levels. These seeds are often called porcupine balls because they are covered in small barbs.

If you re up for some experimenting sweet gum balls can been used to make a tea from boiling the young green seeds. The seeds stratify within 30 90 days at 33 41 f or soaked in water for 15 20 days. But did you know you could possibly earn some money by selling them. Place the sweetgum seeds inside a quart sized sealable plastic bag filled with 1 cup of moistened perlite.

Store the bag inside a refrigerator for one to three. The tradeoff for these perks is a source of aggravation for some gardeners. The infertile seeds found in each of the sweet gum s compound seed capsules are a naturally occurring source of shikimic acid one of the main ingredients in the manufacture of tamiflu. By mid fall the balls are dead and seedless.

The infertile seeds of the sweet gum ball contain shikimic acid which is also contained in the same tree used to make tamiflu. Summer shade and vibrant fall leaf color are merits of the sweet gum tree liquidambar styraciflua. The woody capsules are mostly filled with abortive seeds resembling sawdust. Round spiny fruits or balls that litter the ground making a simple walk across the yard a precarious one.

They can simply be an eyesore and a pain to deal with. The only difference is sweetgum balls drop all fall and winter. The barbs are carried to new locations when they latch onto animals fur. The seeds are about one quarter of an inch thick winged and wind dispersed.