Sweet Gum Balls

If any of you have had the displeasure of stepping on one of these balls with your bare foot, you see this image, and it brings up painful memories. 

But in the current Outdoor Illinois, which is the magazine of the Illinois Department of Conservation, a writer talks about how people can use sweet gum balls as natural packing materials when shipping packages around the holidays. You just should microwave them.

That's right. As Joe McFarland, the author of "Send them Packing," relates, "The use of plant materials for shipping filler isn't new, and there's a long and notorious history of disastrously invasive species outbreaks linked to such practices" (17). He states that "while the sweet gum tree isn't known to pose an invasive species risk in North America, zapping the gum balls for about 90 seconds in the microwave before piling them into a box effectively kills the tiny seeds" (17). 

I have a very tall sweet gum tree in my front yard, so if you ever get a package from me expect some balls, baby. 

Of course, the best solution to the regular mass of sweet gum balls that one tree produces is one of the favorite tools in my shed out back: The Nut Wizard. One of the readers of this blog turned me on to that great tool. If you have a sweet gum tree, the Nut Wizard is a great purchase. And, hey, it's a tool made in America.

And, as McFarland recommends, you can also share the wealth.