Back to Top Chief among them, the sweet gum’s fragrant resin was used to flavor a pipe full of an unfamiliar plant called tobacco. The vicious seed pods have impaled many a forager and has done much to ruin the Sweet Gums reputation. Used to treat ringworm. skin conditions, hemorroids, ringworm scabies and ; frostbite. The bark has astringent properties and addresses dysentery and diarrhea. For external use it is usually made into an ointment with lard or oil. These kingdoms and tribes used acacia in surprisingly diverse ways, from making desserts to treating hemorrhoids. Tincture: a dose is from 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. The “gum” is produced in pockets in the bark. Medicinal Uses The common name for the sweetgum tree's medicinal product is liquid-amber. It is hardy to zone (UK) 5 and is not frost tender. The Powhatan Indians utilized dried bark mixed with bark of Red Oak to make an infusion used to treat dysentery. Sweet gum trees are found throughout the eastern United States. Sweet gum sap has caught the attention of medical researchers, and we know that much of its folkloric uses are now backed with scientific reasoning. The Medicinal Herb Info site was created to help educate visitors about the often forgotten wisdom of the old ways of treating illnesses. copyright 1974. Indians of Alta Verapaz have been known to bathe in leaf extractions of the tree as well to treat gonorrhea when ingested. Acacia has been used in medicines, baking ingredients, tools, and woodwork for centuries. Back to Top. Disclaimer: I wrote “historical medicinal uses.” I am not a doctor or a certified herbal healer so I cannot endorse the use of sweetgum medicines in … The fruits used in the treatment of arthritis, lumbago, oedema, oliguria, and decreased milk production and skin diseases. This entry was posted in Medicinal Herbs on October 2, 2017 by Sylvia . This tree belongs to the Oleaceae family and has several important domains of medial use. The bark has been used to relieve diarrhea and dysentery. The sweetgum produces a resin that can harden and be used for chewing gum as well as medicinal purposes. The balsam is used effectively externally for wounds and for skin problems. During the 16. century in Eastern Mexican cloud forests, temperate forests with high moisture from clouds and fog, the sweet gum was used in medicines, smoked with tobacco, and burned as incense. Historically, the hardened sap was chewed like gum for pleasure as well as for medicinal purposes. Sweet gum resin or sap may stick to your teeth. Share. Common Names | Parts Usually Used | Plant(s) & Culture | Where Found | Medicinal Properties The resin was also combined with water, onion, and garlic to digest and treat intestinal worms. Apparently the yield (flow) is greater in hotter climates, so the highest yielding sweetgum populations are in Mexico and Central America. From contributor A: Sweet gum is a great wood, but it cups and twists when it dries. Indians of Alta Verapaz have been known to bathe in leaf extractions of the tree as well to treat gonorrhea when ingested. It is also prescribed for toothaches, bleeding and boils. Back to Top. Cherokee Indians used the inner bark to make a … The resin also serves many medicinal purposes. Historical evidence also shows that Aztecs would fill ceramic pots full of resin and transport large quantities yearly. In China, the resin is made into pills or powder to treat wounds. The sweet gum tree has long been used for medicinal purposes and as a source of hardwood for furniture. Medicinally today it is used in a lot of common off the shelve products including cough and cold syrups and rubs helping relative congestion. Often the most effective treatment involves a responsible blend of both modern and traditional treatments. By clicking on an affiliate link and placing an order or clicking on an ad, this website receives a small commission which is used to cover hosting and maintenance expenses. However, the many properties and uses are common among all the Sweet Gum trees world wide. The petalless flowers occur in globular heads, the male heads clustered in terminal racemes and the female growing individually on long peduncles. Gum Tree Healing And Medicinal Properties Eucalyptus tree Oil produced predominantly by the leaves can be used for cleaning, a natural insecticide, and has therapeutic and medicinal properties. It is a potent anti … Liquidambar styraciflua branches have also been collected by Guatemalans to use as a type of deodorant for their skin and clothing. Some resins were even used to form figurines that were painted and used in sacrifices. The resin also serves many medicinal purposes. Leaves have an aromatic pine-like scent when crushed. If you cut it extra thick and pile a ton of brick on the pile as it dries, you can get something to use when it is dry. The bark has astringent properties and addresses dysentery and diarrhea. The massive amount of content on this website is made available to readers as a gift. Legends, Myths and Stories | Uses | Formulas or Dosages | How Sold | Bibliography, 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. Uses for Sweet Gum Balls. Many of today's drugs and medicines were originally derived from natural ingredients, combinations of plants and other items found in nature. Back to Top, Native to the eastern and southern areas of the United States. The dried sap of the Sweet Gum tree is the only part that is considered edible. Some tribal women also were believed to mix the resin with honey and ingest after childbirth. Pin. During the 16th century in Eastern Mexican cloud forests, temperate forests with high moisture from clouds and fog, the sweet gum was used in medicines, smoked with tobacco, and burned as incense. 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. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! Attention: This video is NOT intended to treat, diagnose, or cure ANY illness; seek medical advice from your medical doctor. Native Americans used an infusion of the bark medicinally for diarrhea and dysentery and also in poultices for cuts, sores, and bruises. I have not made sweet gum tincture using glycerin, I have doubts as to whether the glycerin would be able to pull out the medicinal properties of the fruits. The American sweet gum tree was so named because of the amber-colored, resinous sweet sap that was scraped from the inside of the bark to produce a chewing gum-like substance. Medicinal use of Sweet Gum: A resin obtained from the trunk of the tree (see "Uses notes" below) is antiseptic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, parasiticide, poultice, salve, sedative, stimulant, vulnerary. You painfully find them with your feet. Perhaps it is time for some rehabilitation. For coughs and respiratory congestion due to colds, the gum can be taken for expectoration or for sore throat. To see this page as it is meant to appear, please enable your Javascript! The Cherokee utilized the Sweet Gum tree (bark/sap) as a Diaphoretic, Febrifuge, Dermatological treatment and as a general medicine. It is also used to make Panjiri, a famous north indian sweet. Time for a little history. Their fruit is effective against rheumatic pain. It is chewed in the treatment of sore throats, coughs, asthma, cystitis, dysentery etc. Historical medicinal uses. The stem bark is used in the treatment of fluxes and skin diseases. (Consult your doctor if … When made into a balsam or salve, it is used for . Native Americans traditionally used the inner bark and resin to help wounds, sore throats, coughs, and to treat infectious diarrhea. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Bees. “It was even reported that animals cured their wounds by rubbing against a tree where the resin was exuded”. bark or balsam in 1 cup water. Ash tree can provide diuretic and laxative properties, which were sometimes used to reduce excess body fat deposits. For external use it is usually made into an ointment with lard or oil. Its alternate, serrate, palmately lobed (star-shaped with 5-7 toothed lobes) leaves are dark green and shiny above and pale green underneath; in fall they turn a deep crimson. The wood has a unique reddish brown color with sapwood that's nearly white and black grain running through the hardwood. The resin was also combined with water, onion, and garlic to digest and treat intestinal worms. Back to Top, The balsam is used effectively externally for wounds and for skin problems. This video is a day late, but it's here. Their fruit is effective against rheumatic pain. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James A. The leaves and roots are used in the treatment of cancerous growths. Found in mixed woods, in moist soils of streams and riverbanks; planted in cities in the east, in the Pacific states, British Columbia, Central America, Mexico. It has a long history in civilizations as ancient as the Egyptians and the aboriginal tribes of Australia. It's considered a valuable tree used for lumber and furniture production, as well as for ornamental purposes. Take 1 cup a day, a mouthful at a time. Native Americans traditionally used the inner bark and resin to help wounds, sore throats, coughs, and to treat infectious diarrhea. The leaves are palmate, deeply 5 to 7-lobed, rounded, smooth, shining, of a rich green color; the lobes finely glandular, serrate, and acuminate; the veins villous at their bases. It is covered with a gray, deeply furrowed bark, with corky ridges on the branchlets. Liquidambar styraciflua is a deciduous Tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a fast rate. Used to treat ringworm. 0. Uses As a remedy for catarrhs of genito-urinary passages, coughs of pulmonary affection generally, gonorrhoea, gleet, amenorrhoea, leucorrhoea, phthisis (wasting disease, tuberculosis of the lung, consumption) and asthma. The red gum would be the darker heartwood of the sweet gum trees. ), however due to the spiky tree balls they grow and then promptly drop everywhere , they aren't exactly barefoot friendly. The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book), edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. Emmaus, PA, 18049., 1974. But websites are not free to host or maintain. Back to Top. Sweet Gum : Medicinal Uses The resin also serves many medicinal purposes. Menu Ask a Question Share a Post Account Search. Native Americans and pioneers also used the sap for a number of medicinal purposes. These trees are pretty spectacular to look at (check out our pictures of sweet gum trees! The sweetgum is a monoecious species and is pollinated primarily by wind. The resulting decoction is known for it’s antiviral properties and can be used as a preventative measure against sickness, or as a remedy for the flu. Uses Medicinal. Cherokee Indians used the inner bark to make a green tea infusion as a sedative to calm nerves. An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants, by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992). Historically, much of the country was forested and the people had to find medicinal uses for the forest trees to stay healthy. It is also antirheumatic and anti-inflammatory in interactions with illnesses like arthritis. If your sweet gum is too tall to spray, or if you don't want to attempt spraying a small tree, you can stop fruit production by having a certified arborist administer a trunk injection. The Sweet Gum tree is the sand spur of the forest. Native Americans used a decoction of leaves or roots as a wash to treat injuries. Native Americans used a decoction of leaves or roots as a wash to treat injuries. Using Trees as Medicine Using trees as medicine breaks allows for some rather interesting preparations, as just about any part of the tree can be medicinal. Cherokee Indians used the inner bark to make a green tea infusion as a sedative to calm nerves. Native Americans traditionally used the inner bark and resin to help wounds, sore throats, coughs, and to treat infectious diarrhea. The fruit consists of woody capsules growing in round, spiny heads an inch or more across which stay on the tree through the winter. This Omeka collection is hosted by The Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Vermont. Those spiny balls, seed pods, dropped by your sweet gum tree can actually be put to good use. When cut, it exudes a sticky, resinous gum or balsam. They are spiky brown hanging balls. Decoction: boil 1 tsp. Extracts from the sap have shown promise in fighting drug-resistant bacteria and hypertension. Sweet gum has some surprising uses and it is beautiful in the fall. Sweetgum was mentioned in writing by historians traveling with Cortes who witnessed the Aztecs using sweetgum to flavor the tobacco they smoked. Historical evidence also shows that Aztecs would fill ceramic pots full of resin and transport large quantities yearly. Some resins were even used to form figurines that were painted and used in sacrifices. A sweet gum is a deciduous tree in the witch hazel family that ranges in height from 60 to 100 feet and has a narrow oval canopy. Sweet gum tree leaves are large and star shaped, and the bark of this tree is extremely furrowed and not at all smooth. Native from southern Connecticut south to Florida and west to Texas. Sweetgum salves have a minor antiseptic value, but work well as an anti-inflammatory. According to NaturalMedicinalHerbs.net Medicinal use of Sweet Gum: A resin obtained from the trunk of the tree (see “Uses notes” below) is antiseptic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, parasiticide, poultice, salve, sedative, stimulant, vulnerary. Sweet gum trees have various medicinal uses. The Herb Book, by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from October to November. Edibility. and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., Avery Publishing Group, Inc., Garden City Park, NY, Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, Victoria Neufeldt, Editor in Chief, New World Dictionaries: A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023. This wreath is made from the seed pods from the sweet gum tree. Back to Top, Antiseptic, astringent, expectorant The first species ever discovered was given the name Acacia nilotica by the Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus i… Back to Top, Ingredient in “compound tincture of benzoin” available at pharmacies. Sweet gum trees have various medicinal uses. This is a guide about uses for sweet gum balls. Some tribal women also were believed to mix the resin with honey and ingest after childbirth. The bark has been used to relieve diarrhea and dysentery. It is used for its lumber, and is one of the most common sources of hardwood and plywood, but also produces spectacular colors as it drops its leaves in the fall. Liquidambar formosana has many medicinal uses. Children sometimes chew the gum in lieu of commercial chewing gum. If you’re up for some experimenting, Sweet Gum Balls can been used to make a tea from boiling the young green seeds. Native American Medicinal use of the Sweet Gum tree. We are not suggesting that you ignore the help of trained medical professionals, simply that you have additional options available for treating illnesses. —The sweet-gum tree attains the height of 50 to 60 feet, with a diameter of 3 to 5 feet. For coughs and respiratory congestion due to colds, the gum can be taken for expectoration or for sore throat. Category Advice. See instructions, Eating Peppers Could Hold the Key to Parkinson’s Prevention, Civil War Era Medicinals Found Potentially Effective Against Infection, Broccoli’s Cancer-Fighting Potential Revealed. Duke., Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000, Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, Shambala Publications, Inc., Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, 1973, American Folk Medicine, by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements, by James F. Balch, M.D. A tree that is a candidate for the injection must have a trunk at least 2 inches in diameter, and the tree cannot have received a spray or soil treatment within two weeks. And laxative properties, which were sometimes used to form figurines that were and... With lard or oil tree where the resin with honey and ingest after childbirth, expectorant to! ’ s fragrant resin was exuded ” for skin problems sweet gum tree medicinal uses an.... Large and star shaped, and woodwork for centuries of resin and transport large quantities yearly the and. 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