Sweetgum

Sweetgums can be found growing in moist woodlands from the eastern United States extending south to Mexico along the eastern Sierra Madre mountain range. The name sweethum was inspired by the sap, which has a sweet smell and a gummy consistency. Their spiny, globe-shaped fruit-sometimes called "gum balls"-are a food source for birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. The trees are most stunning in fall, when their star-shaped leaves take on tones of yellow, orange, red, and purple.