All about Sweet Gum Trees 

I remember American sweetgums in my neighborhood here in Los Angeles California when I was young. Now I have one source tree in my backyard, and about a dozen or so offspring in large pots and around the rest of the property that I've gathered over the years. Like you, I thought they were from scattered seeds from my mature liquidamber, but on closer inspection I saw that they were growing from lateral roots as far away as twenty feet from the mother tree (very similar to the Pando forest of aspen in Utah!). They've done very well in pots for 4 or 5 years in pots. I put them in the ground the trunk is one to two inches in diameter (and the trees are about five to ten feet tall). I love the fall color.

Brother glad you decided to make this me and my son watch it always live, laugh love brother

Plenty of sweet gum in the south! One of my favorite native trees here in Mississippi because they can grow pretty much anywhere. They even grow as far south as Central America!

My neighbor had a large one cut down and now I have sweetgums popping up all over from the large roots in the ground. Amazing how far those roots reached. Around 75 yards to be exact

Sweetgums are definitely known for suckering when you cut them down. They aren't bad about it when they aren't damaged but they will definitely do it when they are cut or run over. They also produce thousands of seeds that are transported by wind. They are an early successional species and will quickly move in and take over a clear cut or burned over area. They provide seeds for small birds and their limbs are good for nesting birds. But they don't make good trees for residential use. The balls hurt to step on and they get thrown into windows by lawn mowers. They also have shallow exposed roots that make mowing difficult. I also wouldn't suggest making syrup out of it, they have other compounds in their sap that are very sour. Try one of the Maple species instead.

just to note, i believe the ratio of reduction for sugar maples is 40 or 50 to 1. 40 litres reduces to 1 litre. So if you plan to make syrup, you're going to have to tap a LOT of trees.

Had 3 for many years, lost 2 last winter and 3rd isn't doing well. Sure will miss them. I live in Texas, close to N.M.

Thanks for the info! I think we will try to make syrup, too!

I have been carving faces on Sweet Gum saplings for walking sticks,keychains & many other small carvings. Thanks for the video. 👍

I have one in my yard. Bought it years ago AND I live in Washington State! :D Going to tap this year

Tha nursery looks fantastic by tha way!

On the sucker thing you mentioned, our crape myrtle we cut down grows them like grass from the roots! Very interesting

A few years back my tree dropped a lot of those gumballs in the fall. The lady who lives next door told me she's lived there 40 years and never seen them that bad. Took me forever to clean those up. Since then there haven't been as many falling in Autumn. This year in Indy I don't see any on my trees at all? Do they have a cycle? If so another 40 years is fine with me. I'll probably be gone by then 😂.

I live in Northeast Texas. Please come by our farm and you can have all the sweet gums you can dig up. We have thousands. Take them. Please.

That root would have been a great use for juvenile bonsais.

We had them at my elementary school in San Diego.

👍 New subscriber Looking to plant some gum ball trees already got about 5 on property need 5 more for privacy and the birds.. I live in North AL. Love these trees

"They're not known for suckering." Sweet gums are the tree I *most* associate with suckering, when they're cut down. I've seen in so many forums over the years with people cautioning that you're going to get tons of suckers across your whole property if you cut one down, because they send their roots out far, and sucker like crazy when felled. I've also heard from a number of people not to plant them near structures, because they'll wrap roots around and crack your foundation. No first-hand experience in these matters, but I've heard these things very often.

Nice Video! I love the smell. So true! They are sprouting up all around the roots of my tree. Can you tell me what kind of fern that is in the background of the seedlings?

I have over 30 of them on only 3 acres. I’d gladly give them away so it doesn’t cost me a fortune to remove.

Sweet gum trees are the most vile tree ever created. I was traumatized as a child; having an enormous one in our backyard! If you live in an area where it rains a lot in fall and winter DO NOT PLANT ONE. You will regret it.....trust me.

I have a common sweetgum tree I grew from seed about 40 years ago. The tree is alive and vigorous. At a couple of spots away from the tree, sprouts have emerged from larger roots. This tree does not make those seed balls, for an interesting reason. There is not another sweetgum tree for about half a mile or more from it. Sweetgums have both male and female flowers on them, but there still must be another sweetgum tree closeby to pollenate them. They will not pollenate their own flowers. Another sweetgum must be close enough to do that. There is a term for it but I can't think of it right now. And because the sprouts have the same DNA as the mother-tree, they will not pollenate each other. And because of all this, I won't be planting another sweetgum on my property because I hate those seed pods.

Why is he so excited about sweetgum trees , its a pain in the neck I have small hills of those damn balls.

I've seen a Pine tree in oregon that had fallen and a low branch turned into a new tree. All the trees energy went into that one branch and it was about 2 3rds of the height of the original tree.

My dad's driveway here in a remote area of SE Mississippi there is a sweet gum tree that is short and fat with moss growing all over it like fur that I swear must be at least 500 years old.

Hmm, sweet gum and sycamore are NOT closely related. Sweet gums are part of the Saxifrage family (includes gooseberries and currants). Sycamores are Proteales, an odd bunch of plants which include lotus and Macadamia nuts.

I'm from Jax beach florida and moved to the coast of Oregon. My apartment has sweetgums and noticed a sucker pop up by the sidewalk. So I just dug up 2 roots.... How large of a pot should a put a 2.5 inch root in? I have 2 of them. The other one has a start of a button popping up. THANKS

I am curious if the suckers did well or not. I have one coming off my sweet gum tree

None of this information seems to fit my sweet gum trees, but they produce those pods, so definitely sweet gums.

I live in southern Maryland, and as amazing and medicinal as sweet gum trees might be, I hate them. They drop thousands of tiny pointy balls every winter which sucks.

We have one in our garden in the Uk! Its protected over here - no idea how it got here lol

Why is my sweet gum tree sprouting leaves on her bark? Oklahoma

Are those root runners considered clones? We have sweet gums all through the neighborhood here in California. Our cats love playing with the sweet gum balls in the fall.

I see sweet gums shooting off surface roots alllll tha time.

Can you make a video making the syrup?

Can you just show one real tree? after I watched the video but I still no any idea what it is

Is there anyway to prune a large sweetgum tree back to keep it for producing the gumballs? I absolutely "LOVE" my sweetgum trees, but now that I am older, the constant racking of the gum balls, and the slipping and falling hazard that they create, is going to force me to cut them all down if I cannot find another option. I have 3 magnificent fully grown trees that are so beautiful, provide wonderful shade in the summer, and thrill us every fall when their leaves change color. So, I would love to keep them, if possible. Thanks to anyone with any bright ideas that they can share with me.

These are akin in behavior to sycamore. The stout wood, webbed leaves, love of water, and poofy seeds.

What is the spacing for planting sweetgum? How far from each other?

Can you get red rashes after getting hurt with them?

Question. How do you kill the darn thing. Its roots are so invasive.

Why doesn't lowes and menards sell those tree's in the garden section only places I've found those are in ditches then if i can't dig up most the root it dies

It's the tree that most symbolizes the Delmarva

You are insane in your membrane !! These trees produce gum balls all year long ! That means my blower is running all year long ! Which means more work for pop - pop !! I am chain sawing all three hundred of these alien things out of here one by one 😎

Sweet gum and sycamore are not "closely related." They are not even in the same family.

after 5 years I know what these are

They're just hard to find and I don't like buying stretched looking trees some places like to sell so a baby sweetgum wont be stretched out looking bad they're just hard to find i know the tree an spike balls even the smell

7:02 …that’s what she said.

That's what Torbay will be doing with the sweet gum tree Turning into a table legs

Murica

Sweet gums put up suckers from the roots whenever they are damaged. If you cut a branch from one it will put up a lot of suckers. Expect a lot more suckers from that stump. They are a very hard tree to manage in a pasture or field.

Sweet gum tree is good for fire wood only. They drop those balls year round and are very annoying to have in your yard.i hate these trees

Bullshit, by sweet gum has small trees coming from the root systems, FYI, the dam thing keeps braking limbs and falling. Some 6-12 inches in diameter.

We have a bunch of them. I hate them, they are horrible. My yard is a danger zone.

These trees are a headache

Sweet gum trees are terrible in your yard. Do yourself a favor and admire them in the forest and don't make the mistake of planting one in your yard. If you have one growing in your yard and it's still small enough to be cut down easily then remove it. THEY SUCK!!!

Sweet Gum are a nuisance, I have them on my property and they make a mess all year long.