This same acid is also found in Sweetgum tree seeds and explains why Sweetgum has always worked so well as an anti-viral. As Tamiflu® became more and more popular, the main source of shikimic acid, the star anise tree (a native of China) became scarcer and … I sound just like an old lady (well, I guess not, ladies from the older generation did NOT chew gum). The spiky clusters are actually balls of fruit with tiny seeds inside that birds and squirrels snack on. The sweetgum wood has many uses, particularly veneer, furniture, flooring, interior trim, woodenware, paper pulp and to make baskets. This is the same active ingredient that's in our most powerful flu treatments known as Tamiflu. Most people view sweet gum wood as a luxury that should be used for lumber and furniture production. Shikimic acid was discovered to be in pine needles and infertile Sweet Gum seed. Sweet gum balls are the seeds that fall from sweet gum trees. It is sprayed on, which makes me wonder if it would be more economical for arborists (and therefore you) to apply. In optimum conditions Sweet Gum trees will grow up to 2′ per year, making them a potentially fast growing shade tree. But in flu season, they’re also a source of homemade Tamiflu. They get all over the ground, your pets can damage their paws by walking on them, you can’t walk barefoot in your plush green grass – they are just a nuisance! It forms in cavities of the bark and also exudes naturally. The infertile seeds of the sweet gum ball contain shikimic acid, which is also contained in the same tree used to make Tamiflu. Are sweetgum tree balls … ... Tamiflu, the drug of choice for Influenza, is made from the Star Anise plant and contains the chemical Shikimik acid. Sweet Gum Healing. The reason is that the un-fertile seeds contain an acid called shikimic acid. These seeds are often called porcupine balls because they are covered in small barbs. "If these walls came tumbling down and fell so hard to make us lose our faith, from what's left you'd figure it out and still make lemonade taste like a sunny day. © 2020. By the time the balls fall to the ground, the seeds are usually gone. But they hate the seeds or sweet gum balls with their spiny projections that form on the tree every year. I sat down in front of the TV and watched Live With Kelly when Josh Groban was the co-host, and I was in clipping heaven. Bake the gum balls in the oven at 200 degrees for about 10 minutes. By mid-fall, the balls are dead and seedless. This same acid is also found in Sweetgum tree seeds and explains why Sweetgum has always worked so well as an anti-viral. Sweet gum balls start out plump and green, but they dry as they mature. The sweet gum got its name for the resinous sap that results when you score its bark. 81. See more ideas about sweet gum, crafts, sweet gum tree crafts. Perhaps it is time for some rehabilitation. The Sweet Gum tree is the sand spur of the forest. It can also be chewed to sweeten the breath. Here is a summary of the section on sweet gum from the book link I listed above: When we were kids, we used to pick the sap off of the trees and chew it. Seemed like there had to be some use to them, but I hadn't been able to find it yet. 7. spray paint (I used Valspar's Summer Leaf Green) Sweet gum will make excellent firewood as it is capable of producing large amounts of heat, as long as you are willing to put in the extra work. Just like leaves, they must fall, so the tree can prep for new growth. It's good for you! On our typical route, there are 3 trees that bear these weird little balls. During the holidays, have your kids paint and decorate dried sweet gum balls while wearing protective gloves. May be regulated kids paint and decorate dried sweet gum balls included scissors, … can! Produced from fertilized flowers will thank you furniture production balls while wearing gloves... 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