magical properties of sweet gum balls
There is a ton of information on the medicinal uses, clinical trials and scientific research references that can be found on this site. This will differ depending on what options are available for the item. Find an instructional recipe here :http://christianhomekeeper.org/sweet-gum-tincture/. Mercker D. Short Rotation Woody Crops for Biofuels, University of Tennessee Biofuels Initiative, University of Tennessee Extension Publication (SP702-C) [Last accessed on 2014 Mar 4]. Shikimic acid is not Tamiflu any more than . Sweet gum balls or witches burrs or witches balls are the sharp, thorny protective casings that house hide the seeds of the sweet gum tree. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. With a slow decomposition rate, sweet gum balls provide long-lasting ground cover, blocking out sun and preventing weed germination. Emptying the basket is a breeze as well. The Spaniard recognized its similarity to the well-known Asian species (and close kin) that exuded the same resin. 2020 Mar;8(6):258. doi: 10.21037/atm.2020.03.39. Thanks for sharing Your experiences! The trees' spike ball fruit is almost as telltale for identification as the star-shaped leaves. Leaves are alternate, simple, star-shaped, with 5 (sometimes 7) lobes, 36 inches wide, deeply lobed; margin toothed, tips long-pointed; leaves slightly aromatic when bruised. Sweet Gum. And it's medicinal properties called on in medicines like Tamiflu . But, when some of these people referred to sweet gum balls as "Witches Balls" or "Witches Burrs", I figured it would be interesting to look into further it is almost Halloween after all! In fall, sweet gum leaves turn a variety of colors, contributing greatly to fall color in communities. I have never treated sweet gums so I cant help with more details. Chemical analysis has found astringent tannins and antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory compounds in sweetgum, which make it effective in treating skin and mucosal infections. Theyre amazing for protection workings, warnings, and getting rid of negativity, she claims. After all, the sweet gum is born from earth. The flowers are unisexual and greenish in color. Keywords: The star-shaped leaves of sweet gum become even more striking in the autumn, when they turn various shades of gold, red, pink, and purple, often on the same tree. Fruits or Seed Balls where is all the lysol? Gum Tree. government site. Captcha failed to load. Sale Price $31.96 More recently, storax has proven to be a strong antimicrobial agent even against multidrug resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The branchlets are pithy, many-angled, winged, and at first covered with rusty hairs, finally becoming red brown, gray or dark brown. The Magic of Trees: A Guide to Their Sacred Wisdom & Metaphysical Properties. Liquidambar styraciflua, more commonly known as sweetgum, hazel pine, redgum, satin walnut or alligator wood is a hardwood tree native to North America, parts of Central America and Mexico. Altingiaceae (sweet gums) (formerly Hamamelidaceae). edward w. berry, the geological history of the sweet gum and witch hazel, the plant world, vol. The University of Arkansas on Sweet Gum extraction. However, only L. styraciflua is native to North America where it has a widespread distribution across the southeastern United States. The American Sweet Gum non-showy, monoecious, yellow-green flowers appear in spherical clusters in April-May. The sticky or gummy sap of sweet gums serves a purpose for the tree. It is a kind of native balsam, or resin, resembling turpentine. If you look at it long enough, you can start to see it's evil eyes, it's crooked nose, and it's open mouth and fangs. Some people actually want these things! Like Noah suggested, you can always throw them in your compost for some much needed brown material. But here are some ideas in case you happen upon a few of these hang in bundles by the doors, windows and mirrors of your home or magickal work space. place on your altar for protection during rituals grind to a powder to add to protection powders and oils (but I recommend using both the powder/oil as well as at least one whole ball in any spell or working you do with powder/oil) pro tip: and no matter what you do with them, if youre using them for a spiritual/ magickal purpose, make sure to cleanse/bless them first and make an offering to the spirit of the sweet gum tree when its all said and done. Two more tidbits: The sap is still used to add flavor to smoking tobacco and is also available at the pharmacy as an ingredient in the compound tincture of benzoin. The seedpods from Your childhood probably some of the Acer ( Maple ) species, right? To begin, trim the long stems from the Sweetgum balls. -. Crushed to dress candles Cleaning up gumballs can be a problem in residential areas. It can be an excellent shade tree in the right location, away . 3 Fizzing Whizzbees Make People Levitate. We have sweet gum balls E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E so many that you can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting a little sweet gum seedling that recently sprouted. In addition to the potential medicinal uses of sweetgum extracts, the extracts of the sap possess antifungal activity against various phytopathogenic fungi and have been effective treatments for reducing nematodes and the yellow mosquito, Aedes aegypti, populations thus highlighting the potential of these extracts as environment-friendly pesticides and antifungal agents. Tree Removal. Bark The flowers typically appear in March to May and persist into Autumn, sometimes persisting into the Winter. Sweetgum trees are important resources for medicinal and other beneficial compounds. They tend to be Pyramidal shaped when young, oblong to rounded when mature. The .gov means its official. $2.24, $2.99 Molecules. Magical Properties of Sweet Basil | Basil Materia Magicka. 2001. Two close relatives of our North American sweetgum are Formosan sweetgum (Liquidambar formosana) of southern China and Taiwan, and Oriental sweetgum (Liquidambar orientalis) of Turkey and the Caucasus. 2023 Green Witch Living Absolutely! Accessibility Disclaimer. Habitat 877. 5. That is to say, it can help nursing mother boost the milk supply naturally. Location: Zone 9, CA. If youd like to grow your own sweet gum, first understand that its a commitment to a tree that many describe as a nuisance. The branches carry layers of cork. Now, I don't know much of anything about how well gum balls might work for 'spiritual protection', but just looking at the sweet gum balls, it's easy to see how people might think they have magical repellant powers after all, put some around and they'll sure keep me away! Hardwoods; Agriculture Handbook 654. MeSH You find it's magickal properties called on most commonly in american folk magick and african american hoodoo. Promotions, new products and sales. Rapper Goonew dead body on display! Creativity, Father/Daughter Relationships, Personal Power, Tarot. Sweetgum salves have a minor antiseptic value, but work well as an anti-inflammatory. Etsys 100% renewable electricity commitment includes the electricity used by the data centers that host Etsy.com, the Sell on Etsy app, and the Etsy app, as well as the electricity that powers Etsys global offices and employees working remotely from home in the US. I have no problem with the trees themselves. Modern chewing gum is composed of gum base, sweeteners, softeners/plasticizers, flavors, colors, and, typically, a hard or powdered polyol coating. remembering account, browser, and regional preferences, remembering privacy and security settings, personalized search, content, and recommendations, helping sellers understand their audience, showing relevant, targeted ads on and off Etsy. sweet-gum, American sweet-gum, sweet gum, sweetgum All pictures (5) Share; All pictures. In Appalachia, a concoction of the resin mixed with whiskey was chewed to clean teeth, heal gums and mouth lesions, or to relieve toothache. Chewing gum is a soft, cohesive substance designed to be chewed without being swallowed. We've sent you an email to confirm your subscription. Please. The other uses of the American sweetgum include lumber, veneer, and plywood, as well as fuel and pulpwood. and transmitted securely. Try contacting them via Messages to find out! Have I mentioned I think they are pure evil? For magic, people use stuff like black cat bones, graveyard dust, fingernail clippings. Sweetgum tree balls: Gum tree balls on the American sweetgum are coppery-brown rounded spiky capsules. Hung above your doors or in the kitchen. While this is a simple overview, in my book The Magic of Trees: . Hot glue sticks. 6. Technical Coordinators. As an ornamental tree, the species has a drawbackthe branches may have ridges or wings that cause more surface area, increasing weight of snow and ice accumulation on the tree. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Turning off the personalized advertising setting wont stop you from seeing Etsy ads or impact Etsy's own personalization technologies, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. Disclaimer. The reason? Crystal Balls Pendulums Oracle Cards Spirit Boards Tarot Cards Shop All 200+ Categories . Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. The gum has long been harvested and used for chewing gum, but it is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Externally, it is applied to sores, wounds, piles, ringworm, scabies etc. ACS Omega. Original Price $4.99 http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1010 and context= Virginia Tech Non-timber Forest Products Fact Sheet no. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Little did I know that 45 years later, I would be remembering that tree and learning such vital information about the significance of Sweet Gum Trees. Hoodoo practices include folk remedies and magic spells that make use of physical objects believed to have spiritual or supernatural powers. Many northeastern Oklahomans are bewildered to find their lawns covered by sweet gum balls - those spiked seed balls that are fired like golf balls when you try to mow them.May 28, 2013 & 11 questions answered . Enter here! This site needs JavaScript to work properly. ~from Herbal Medicine Past and Present, Volume 2. October 14, 2022 by jai. More on Sweet Gum: Eat the Weeds with Green Deane: Sweet Gum Tree. You can make all kinds of things like crafts, tea, and Tamiflu! USES: Use your witches burrs by adding them spell jars, load them with herbs and oils for your specific intention, cast them into a fire, or use as a . How to Pick Up Sweet Gum Tree Balls and Then Use Them. Sweet gum pods that fall in autumn can also be used as a mulch. Wenger KF. Original Price $5.00 They tend to be about 1.5 inches in diameter and are yellow/green while still on the tree and dark brown in color once they fall, usually dropping in late winter/early spring. Sweet gum is a large tree with a long, cylindrical trunk, pyramidal crown, and corky wings on branches and twigs. The earliest leaves, the small ones with shallow lobes, were pre-formed in buds at the end of the previous year's growing season, and they overwintered in the buds. Extracts from sweet gum seeds have anticonvulsant effects, which may make them suitable in the treatment of epilepsy. Our global marketplace is a vibrant community of real people connecting over special goods. There is even piles of salt in windowsills. I'm sitting on a crafters gold mine here people! Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground. It is a widely held belief that the infertile seeds of Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) can be tinctured in alcohol to make an at-home Tamiflu substitute [1].. Medicinal Uses of Sweet Gum Sweetgums are notably absent from magical and herbal tree lore, which derives largely from Europe. That tradition really comes from West Africa. http://www.ntfpinfo.us/docs/other/VirginiaTech2001-SweetgumFactsheet.pdf, http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/liqstya.pdf. The leaves are dark to medium glossy green and turn bright shades of red, burgandy, purple and sometimes orange or yellow in autumn. Sweet gum balls ("Witches Burrs" or "Witches Balls") are apparently a traditional American Hoodoo magical item. Anti-inflammatory; Liquidambar; antimicrobial; antioxidant; storax; sweetgum. The woody capsules are mostly filled with abortive seeds resembling sawdust. [Last accessed on 2014 Feb 11]. In addition to the potential medicinal uses of sweetgum extracts, the extracts of the sap possess anti-fungal activity against various phytopathogenic fungi and have been effective treatments for reducing nematodes and the yellow mosquito. This Content is for entertainment and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professionalmedical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Herbs are sold as curiosities only. Many people prize sweet gum as a landscaping tree because of its beautiful fall color. (20% off), Sale Price $2.24 Choose the options youd like for the order. As a type of sympathetic magic, the burrs are thought to be especially good at protection because of their spike nature. Sweetgums are notably absent from magical and herbal tree lore, which derives largely from Europe. Fruit matures in SeptemberOctober, persists through winter; light brown, globe-shaped, formed by the union of multiple individual fruits, hard, spiny due to numerous woody, hornlike projections, 11 inches in diameter. I used to chuck them at mine, jokes one viewer in the comments. (15% off). Many sellers on Etsy offer personalized, made-to-order items. Sweet gum is a deciduous, forest-dwelling tree, growing as high as 150 feet, the tree is covered with rough, gray bark; but the branchlets are reddish-brown and often have corky ridges. So after their early, dramatic leafing-out in spring, that's it; after that, only buds to overwinter for next year are produced. Manavalan S, Veerakumar P, Chen SM, Murugan K, Lin KC. In Magical and Spiritual circles the spiney seed pods or fruits of the Sweet Gum are known as Witchs Burrs or witch balls a traditional American Hoodoo magical item. Good news! If a sweet gum is flowering when the chemical induces ethylene production, it responds by aborting the flowers. $7.22, $8.50 Only time will tell. They are considered a powerful protection amulet and are used for protection on altars, in witch bottles and in spirit bags. It tolerates a moderate amount of flooding or saturated soil. Please enter the answer to 1 + 1 below. A decoction from the inner bark is traditionally (Cherokee) used to calm the nerves. Overview More Information Care Knowledge Cultivars Sweet-gum is known for its unique star-shaped leaves with outstanding yellow, red, and purple fall color. Storax, also referred to as styrax, is produced by damaging the outer bark of sweetgum trees. Original Price $8.50 Archeological research of pre-Columbian Aztecs discovered evidence of a large trade of Liquidambar for incense. No dead cats were swung around here to support my hypothesis of the prolificacy of sweet gum trees! Sweet Gum trees typically grow to be 60 to 80 tall and 40 to 60 wide and some can easily exceed 100 tall depending on their habitat environment. South Carolina Civil War surgeon and botanist writes that sweetgum incense was used in Mexico as an excitant of the mucous system and antimicrobial for infections of lungs, intestines and urinary tract. Lovely article :) I have the misfortune of having a sweet gum ball tree just on the other side of my property line and it is dropping hundreds and hundreds of gum balls Sweet Gum Tree balls and dog eating them (property, attorney, state) - Real Estate -Brokers, appraisals, development, lease, investing, relocation, apartments, houses, condos, values, mortgages . The American Sweet Gum female flowers give way to the infamous gum balls, hard, spherical, bristly fruiting clusters to 1.5" diameter. Louisiana man drop dead moments after calling woman a Voodoo n*gga b*tch! The sweetgum, which also provides the material for hardwood, is one of the most important trees for timber in the country. It takes the sweet gum tree 20 to 30 years to mature enough to produce its fruit. The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Its antiseptic and antibacterial properties are useful in both contexts. The magical association with protection seems to have a basis in science. The lumber has been used for cabinetry, furniture, flooring, and interior finish. The sap, known as storax, has been used for centuries to treat common ailments such as skin problems, coughs, and ulcers. For injection you may be looking at 150 to 250.00 for large trees. As an infused oil (leaves, stems, inner bark) can be used in making salves for mild aches and pains such as sore muscles. The prickly fruits are called gumballs, goblin balls, monkey balls and a number of other colorful names. | Manifest Abundance. Meanwhile, many other kinds of trees exhibit determinate (or fixed) growth: they only produce a set number of leaves per growing season. Sweet gum wood is valued for its attractive, interlocked grain. The five lobed star-shaped leaves often confuse people who think it may be a maple . Though they can be murder on bare feet if they fall before softening, these brown spiky balls are popular in arts in crafts and also, apparently, in magic. 2023 Jan 1;28(1):360. doi: 10.3390/molecules28010360. Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) Healing, spirituality, enchantment, enlightenment, meditation, leadership and protection. Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited. Many of the medicinal properties of sweetgum are derived from the resinous sap that exudes when the outer bark of the tree has been damaged. 2. It is not, however, sweet. It is a potent anti-fungal and an effective natural pesticide. Bark is brown to gray, very rough with deep grooves and narrow, slightly scaly ridges. The compounds found in the extracts derived from sweetgum sap suppress hypertension in mice. As a matter of fact, I'd go so far as to say way, way, way too prolific. Sweetgum trees are large, deciduous trees found in Asia and North America. Receiveweekly shop updates, special offers, new articles, and exclusive content. There are several different popular cultivars of the sweetgum, including Burgundy which is better adapted to the American South, festival with peach-colored foliage, Moraine which is best adapted to cold, and Rotundiloba, which has no fruit production. Fallen, opened fruits are often abundant beneath the trees; these have been popularly nicknamed "burr balls" or "gum balls". The genus name refers to the viscous resin, literally liquid amber- liquidus and ambar. Content Detail. Noteworthy Characteristics. Storax has medicinal uses dating back to the Aztec Empire during the Paleo-Indian Period (ca. The ancient Aztecs collected the boiled down, grayish-brown, sticky, opaque liquid and used it as a treatment for skin infections and other ailments. Just look at the one in my photo above. The tree needs the injections right before it flowers in spring. Careers. Other extracts derived from sweet gum trees have shown potential as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and chemopreventive agents. In fact, I had never seen, felt, or heard of sweet gums until well into my thirties when we bought our current property here in southeast Virginia. Sweet gum balls are great for protection and banishing and they add great power to any spell or intention. or stepped on too many of them just to have them roll under my feet and propel my body in ways and directions it wasn't meant to go until I fell (hard) to the ground, landing on more of the spiny little buggers. Darryl Patton at The Southern Herbalist suggests boiling the green balls and drinking the decoction for its anti viral properties. I've certainly learned a lot about sweet gums since then though mostly because I've searched high and low for ways to get rid of the stinking "gum ball" seed pods they drop everywhere. gardngrim@gmail.com Ashes, hickories, oaks, and walnuts, for example, have all of the entire next season's leaves and shoots pre-formed the year before. There are so many great uses for the Sweetgum Balls! Cultivated in landscapes, it is rapid-growing, long-lived, and relatively free from insect pests and disease. In the same family as witch hazel, the sweet gum tree is uniquely american. In traditional North American Indian medicine, the resin and inner bark were used to treat diarrhea, and, topically, as a salve for wounds and skin irritations. You've already signed up for some newsletters, but you haven't confirmed your address. Reply. Sweet Gum Balls can be used for protection a variety of ways such as: In oils. Sow it as early in the year as . $4.25, $5.00 She is the author of, The Importance Of Livestock Newborn Umbilical Care, Raise & Market Specialty Poultry For Meat & Profit, Start Collecting & Using The Water On Your Farm, Successful Strategies For Profitable U-Pick Farms, Get to Know the Medicinal Uses of Sweet Gum Sap & Fruit. Here's a quick reference guide to the healing, magical, and metaphysical properties of more than 100 trees. Watch the latest videos about #sweetgumball on TikTok. (15% off), Sale Price $3.99 Original Price $2.99 We have loads of color, and Ive been enjoying some of my favorite trees as I drive around the community. It had knarly roots protruding from the ground that I use to sit on like a bench. Available from. I hope you enjoy my blog, feel free to email me with any questions, ideas or things you would like to see and Blessed Be. 19. Its texture is reminiscent of rubber because of the physical-chemical properties of its polymer, plasticizer, and resin components, which contribute to its . Extracts derived from sweetgum trees have shown potential as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and chemo preventive agents as well as anticonvulsant effects, which may make them suitable in the treatment of epilepsy. Enter your email address below to receive AGrowingGarden.com posts by email:Delivered by FeedBurner, The Incredible Beauty of Crepe Myrtle Bark. For this it was taken as an infusion (tea). Is it going out of business? Sweet Gum Balls. Twigs are reddish- or yellowish-brown becoming gray, aromatic, often with corky wings on second-years growth; pores raised, dark. Etsy is powered by 100% renewable electricity. The trees spike ball fruit is almost as telltale for identification as the star-shaped leaves. If, only if, I were a craft person (I'm not), I'd be in heaven! Air and water easily pass through their hollow structure, and their spikey surface can even help deter slugs and other animals. Join our Green Witch Living Loyalty Program, GWL Rewards. Although it produces small clusters of inconspicuous flowers in the spring, it does not (usually) set fruit. Watercolor by Debbie Galant April 2020. . First, I snipped off the stems of the gum tree balls with craft scissors. We have a sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) in the front yard. We are dedicated to planting trees all over the world! Eastern Remedies for Western-type diet induced atherosclerosis. Add to Favorites .