Nut Wizard
Liquidambar styraciflua derives its Linnaean appellation from the dark sweet medicinal sap it produces when tapped. In 1517, Juan de Grijalva, the nephew of the governor of Cuba, first recorded it’s use during a gift exchange with the Mayas “who presented them with, among other things, hollow reeds of about a span long filled with dried herbs and sweet-smelling liquid amber which, when lighted in the way shown by the natives, diffused an agreeable odour.” American pioneers scraped the sugary substance from the bark and chewed it like gum, thereby giving it the more familiar name, American Sweetgum. The Sputnik shaped offal shed from this most colorful of fall trees has been the scorn of land owners since yards came into fashion.
American sweetgum spiny seed pods, or “space bugs”
Called gum balls, burr balls, space bugs, and spike balls, they are actually the fruit of the tree and carry its seed. Aside from provoking a great deal of frustration, the seeds of the American Sweetgum are a rather reliable source of shikimic acid (as is star anise), which is an essential base component in the production of Tamiflu. Ridding one’s yard of sweet gum balls can be a daunting task. Simply mow over the things and expect anyone within shouting distance to dive for cover while seemingly millions of them shoot like tiny missiles in all directions. Raking is time consuming and laborious. Specially designed apparatus like this one make the task vastly more efficient and can be used for a variety of lawn debris, such as the garment staining walnut and the skull crushing hickory nut.
Are you looking for something to pick up nuts and acorns in your yard?
Retrieve golf balls on the course, gather apples in your orchard, or pick up spent brass on the range? Nut Wizard® tools are designed with your yard clean up and harvesting needs in mind.
-Ad for Nut Wizard, Seeds and Such, Inc., 2021
Knowledge Sources
https://baganut.com/blogs/news/how-did-sweet-gum-balls-get-their-name
http://www.nutwizard.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikimic_acid
Image Sources
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gumball_-_American_Sweetgum_-_Liquidambar_styraciflua,_Julie_Metz_Wetlands,_Woodbridge,_Virginia_(27002510369).jpg