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NAME: Sweetgum

LATIN NAME / FAMILY:  Liquidambar styraciflua / Hamamelidaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  American Sweetgum

CONDITIONS: sun-partial shade
 

PARTS:

EDIBLEcid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

  

 

 

 

Shoots

 

 

 

 

Leaves

        

Stalk/Stem

 

 

 

 

Buds

        

Flowers

 

 

 

 

Fruits

 

 

 

 

Pods

  

 

    

Seeds

 

 

 

 

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Roots

 

 

 

 

Bark

 

 

 

 

Sap / Resin

slightly bitter

 RAW/COOK

 early/Spring

 

PORTION: small

 

COMMENT: Sap/Resin edible. A chewing gum and a stabilizer for cakes etc is obtained from the resin. It can also be chewed to sweeten the breath.(1)  Slashed to the cambium, sap will leak out and harden. The resulting gum can be chewed.(2) Foraging Texas says that seeds and raw leaf buds are also edible, (4) but not PFAF or EatTheWeeds.com.  The Sweet Gum is distinguished by its "picky balls" and star shaped leaves.

 

CAUTION:

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  Antiseptic;  Astringent;  Carminative;  Diuretic;  Expectorant;  Parasiticide;  Poultice;  Salve; Sedative;  Stimulant;  Vulnerary.(1) Nutritional Value: seeds contain calories and protein. Other uses: leaves can be mashed into a poultice for antibiotic and sting-bite relief.(4)

From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4441155/  Sweetgum trees are large, deciduous trees found in Asia and North America. Sweetgum trees are important resources for medicinal and other beneficial compounds. 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. The sap, known as storax, has been used for centuries to treat common ailments such as skin problems, coughs, and ulcers. More recently, storax has proven to be a strong antimicrobial agent even against multidrug resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In addition to the sap, the leaves, bark, and seeds of sweetgum also possess beneficial compounds such as shikimic acid, a precursor to the production of oseltamivir phosphate, the active ingredient in Tamiflu®–an antiviral drug effective against several influenza viruses. Other extracts derived from sweetgum trees have shown potential as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and chemopreventive agents. 

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES: 

 

OTHER USES: Adhesive;  Gum;  Incense;  Parasiticide;  Resin;  Teeth;  Wood. The aromatic resin 'Storax' is obtained from the trunk of this tree. It forms in cavities of the bark and also exudes naturally. It is harvested in autumn. Production can be stimulated by beating the trunk in the spring. The resin has a wide range of uses including medicinal, incense, perfumery, soap and as an adhesive. It is also chewed and used as a tooth cleaner. Wood - heavy, fairly hard, fine-grained, not strong, light, tough, resilient. Takes a high polish and can be stained then used as a cherry, mahogany or walnut substitute. It is also used for furniture, flooring, fruit dishes, veneer etc.

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Liquidambar+styraciflua
  2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/sweet-gum-tree
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua
  4. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/sweetgum.html (good photos)
  5. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua (good photos)
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4441155/