- Sweet gum trees produce seedlings that can make an interesting addition to your home decor. The seedlings are small and circular with many protruding points. Throw them into a bowl of potpourri to enjoy. Trim down the points with toenail clippers first to avoid injuries caused by the sharp points. Due to the sharp points, keep the sweet gum balls confined to decorative bowls for safety purposes.
- Sweet gum trees are vibrantly green in the summer and turn all shades of brilliant red in fall. The trees have a wide canopy that works well for providing shade. This makes them an attractive addition to your landscaping project. The trees thrive in warmer weather. Place your tree so it will receive full sunlight throughout the day. Keep the soil around its roots moist and avoid placing sun-hungry plants right under it. The plants will starve under the wide canopy of the tree.
- Sweet gum trees can produce some all-natural remedies for everyday problems. For example, the sap can boil down to a balsam that has many medical benefits, such as helping cure some skin problems, and promoting a more restful night's sleep. Harvesting the sap is much like harvesting maple syrup. Drill a hole in the tree that angles upward slightly. Place a tree sap spigot into the hole. The sap will collect inside the drilled hole and exit through the spigot mouth.
- Sweet gum wood is naturally pale and has a slight pink hue, which makes it an ideal material for building furniture. You can keep the pale, natural complexion of the wood or you can stain it. The light wood absorbs the darker color of the stain quickly, giving you a color close to that of the pure stain. Stained sweet gum wood will have a slight pink tint if the stain is a light color.
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