Bulbs Flower Basics Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens Flower Garden Garden Furniture Garden Gnomes Garden Seeds Garden Sheds Garden Statues Garden Tools & Supplies Gardening Basics Green & Organic Groundcovers & Vines Growing Annuals Growing Basil Growing Beans Growing Berries Growing Blueberries Growing Cactus Growing Corn Growing Cotton Growing Edibles Growing Flowers Growing Garlic Growing Grapes Growing Grass Growing Herbs Growing Jasmine Growing Mint Growing Mushrooms Orchids Growing Peanuts Growing Perennials Growing Plants Growing Rosemary Growing Roses Growing Strawberries Growing Sunflowers Growing Thyme Growing Tomatoes Growing Tulips Growing Vegetables Herb Basics Herb Garden Indoor Growing Landscaping Basics Landscaping Patios Landscaping Plants Landscaping Shrubs Landscaping Trees Landscaping Walks & Pathways Lawn Basics Lawn Maintenance Lawn Mowers Lawn Ornaments Lawn Planting Lawn Tools Outdoor Growing Overall Landscape Planning Pests, Weeds & Problems Plant Basics Rock Garden Rose Garden Shrubs Soil Specialty Gardens Trees Vegetable Garden Yard Maintenance

When Do Sweet Gum Trees Drop Balls?

How to Start Lemon Seeds Indoors - watch on youtube
When Do Sweet Gum Trees Drop Balls?

When Do Sweet Gum Trees Drop Balls?. Native across much of eastern North America, the sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) produces hundreds of golf ball-sized seed pods or capsules annually. Orange-brown and with sharp, short spines, they litter lawns and sidewalks, making a nuisance and potential safety hazard.

Native across much of eastern North America, the sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) produces hundreds of golf ball-sized seed pods or capsules annually. Orange-brown and with sharp, short spines, they litter lawns and sidewalks, making a nuisance and potential safety hazard.
Time Frame
Heaviest drop of sweetgum balls occurs from mid to late fall. The foliage drops and reveals a tree silhouette with seed balls still dangling. Over the fall and winter, they progressively drop and by early spring the branches are bare and reveal the new leaf growth.
Warning
The dry, hard and tough fibers in the seed balls are slow to decompose. If littering a lawn, they become projectiles from a lawnmower chute and are not comfortable to encounter barefoot.
Fun Facts
Botanically, the sweetgum's balls are spheres of fused capsules. Colloquially, Americans dub them sticky balls, itchy balls, monkey balls, space bugs, gum balls and ankle twisters.

Check out these related posts