The Sweetgum tree is a deciduous species prized for its vivid autumn foliage and stately form. However, it is also known for its problematic fruit: the woody, spiky spheres commonly called gumballs. These hard, one-to-one-and-a-half-inch seed pods create persistent ground litter that can be hazardous.
Gumballs are a genuine nuisance, transforming lawns and paved areas into difficult terrain. They are notorious tripping hazards, especially when scattered on walkways and driveways. The hard, dense nature of the fruit can also damage lawnmower blades or be flung out as high-speed projectiles during mowing. Dealing with the ongoing cleanup requires either immediate physical removal or proactive treatments to prevent their formation altogether.
Physical Removal Methods for Fallen Gumballs
Standard yard rakes are often ineffective for gathering gumballs. While raking them into piles is possible, it is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process requiring consistent effort throughout the drop period, which extends from late winter through spring. Using a leaf blower to corral the debris into manageable piles offers a slightly more efficient alternative to manual raking.
A significant upgrade in efficiency comes from specialized tools designed to pick up small, hard debris. These tools, often called nut gatherers or gumball grabbers, use a rolling wire cage or tines to scoop up the fruits from the ground and deposit them into a basket. This method allows for rapid collection over large areas, functioning best on well-maintained, shorter grass where the tines can easily reach the gumballs.
For very large areas, a pull-behind or self-propelled lawn vacuum designed for hard debris is another option, though standard mower vacuum systems may become easily clogged. The hard, spiky nature of the gumball makes it incompatible with composting, as the fruits take years to decompose fully. Once collected, the gumballs must be bagged for disposal or run through a powerful chipper to create mulch.
Chemical Treatments to Suppress Fruit Production
Preventative treatment involves using plant growth regulators (PGRs), which are hormone-based chemicals that inhibit the tree’s ability to develop mature fruit. The active ingredients in these treatments, such as ethephon, function by causing the newly formed flowers to drop off prematurely. This prevents the female flowers from being pollinated and developing into hard gumballs.
The timing of this application is critical; the PGR must be applied after the tree has flowered but before the fruits harden. This narrow window typically occurs in early spring, often lasting only one to two weeks, and an application outside this timeframe will be ineffective. Ethephon is commonly applied as a spray, which requires complete coverage of the tree’s canopy to be successful. This is a difficult task for a homeowner with a mature tree.
Another method involves a trunk injection of a different growth regulator, such as indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), sold under trade names like Snipper. This product is injected directly into the tree’s vascular system, traveling to the developing flowers to abort them. Both the spray and injection methods are typically not considered do-it-yourself projects for large trees and should be administered by a certified arborist. These professional treatments must be repeated annually to maintain the fruit-suppression effect.
Long-Term Tree Management and Sterile Cultivars
For a permanent solution that avoids the yearly cycle of cleanup or chemical application, long-term management strategies are necessary. Pruning helps maintain a tree’s health and structure, but it has minimal effect on reducing gumball production since the fruit is distributed throughout the canopy. If the nuisance becomes intolerable, removing the existing tree is the most complete way to eliminate the problem.
Removal is not the only recourse for those who appreciate the Sweetgum’s shade and fall color. The most effective long-term solution is to replace the tree with, or plant initially, a sterile cultivar. These specialized varieties have been bred or selected to be nearly or completely fruitless.
A popular and widely available sterile cultivar is ‘Rotundiloba,’ distinguished by its rounded, non-pointed leaf lobes and lack of gumball production. Other options include ‘Slender Silhouette,’ an extremely narrow, columnar variety that is also nearly fruitless. Choosing one of these seedless trees allows property owners to enjoy the species without the constant problem of falling fruit.