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Curses may be effective. Down with those danged sweet gum trees!

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Advantage

We have a beautiful new subdivision in Searcy Arkansas with houses that are the ultimate in high-style.  It's called The Dominion and is located right in front of Searcy Country Club.

Money has flowed generously toward developing the site and the landscaping has had lots of thought and preplanning.

To the surprise of all people nearby and those who pass by, however, the type tree planted along the road was sweet gum trees which make sweet gum balls which are worthless for anything except being a nuisance to clean up.Sweet Gum Tree

How could they not foresee the grown trees dropping those annoying balls all over the street and having to be swept up continuously?

Well, lots of people were cursing those trees.  And look what appears to be happening.

They are dying?  Looks like it!

So I'm wondering if cursing is actually an effective way of getting rid of a row of trees that can only grow up cramped and too fruitful.

I hope they don't replace them!!!

P. S.  I'll be willing to step on a sticky sweetgum ball if any of you can honestly tell me that you have one of these trees in your yard and you truly love it!!!!!!

Sweet gum tree

Show All Comments
Stanley Stepak
Howard Hanna - Avon Lake, OH - Avon Lake, OH
Realtor - Avon Lake, Avon, Bay Village, Westlake,

no water is one thing.  cursing I dont think so

Oct 08, 2010 02:19 PM
Jim Allhiser
Perfection Inspection, Inc. - Salem, OR
Salem, Oregon Home Inspector

Hmmm...... I definitely do not have one but I do enjoy the big ones in the fall.  Another name for them is, "Liquid Amber."

They are really no good for street trees though.  Besides the gum balls, they have notoriously shallow roots and destroy sidewalks when then get bigger.  Poor planning for sure.

Oct 09, 2010 12:38 AM
Charles Edwards Bentonville
Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette 479-253-3796 - Bentonville, AR
AR REALTOR, Bentonville Real Estate Agent and Broker

Barbara, I've cursed a few trees in my lifetime..how about a mulberry? About these Sweet Gum, I'm thinking our dryer than usual summer was hard on the shallow roots.

Oct 09, 2010 01:04 AM
Anonymous
Anita Fuller

It appears Searcy's movers and shakers, in their infinite wisdom, must have been on the planting committee for The Dominion.

I have a sweet gum tree in my yard. I hate it and curse it everytime I step on a gum ball!  Wonder how many curses it takes to kill it?  I shall curse my pine trees, also....for  my next home I will not buy a house within miles of a pine tree.

Oct 09, 2010 02:08 AM
#4
Don Thompson
Donthomp Associates - Sunnyvale, CA

I have mixed emotions about the Sweet Gum tree. It's a love-hate relationship. They are beautiful trees especially in the fall when the leaves change color. It's amazing how these trees are planted as street trees.

Where I lived in California, Sunnyvale, they were planted as street trees (we called them Liquid Amber there) and the root system tore up sidewalks. There's nothing worse than stepping on one of those balls in the street. Very painful. My neighbor has a big one in his front yard and I spend a lot of time herding gum balls.

Oct 09, 2010 02:45 AM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Stan, try it. 

Jim, thanks for that info.  I hope the developers read this blog.

Charles, I hope the summer got them.  They also planted crepe myrtles and they're doing fine. 

Anita, if you have a house to sell and you have a sweet gum tree in the yard you need to run out and sweep up and hide every little ball as soon as it falls so that the buyer never sees one and never notices that it is anything but a big towering beautiful tree in the yard.  Once they buy it and know the truth, they'll curse YOU for life!!  LOL  Pine trees are also bad but not AS bad.

Don, this landscape architect must come from California if he recommended planting those things.  But he ought to know if they tear up the streets.  When I mentioned the trees to the developer he said they were not sweetgum trees.  The landscaper called them some fancy name which he called and I can't remember.  That brings up another question.  When the landowner plants trees in a narrow spot, say between the sidewalk and the street and it becomes huge and tears up both street and sidewalk, who should have to fix it?  Owner or city?  I see that in several places in Searcy.  The pines that the landowners planted are now so bid that the roots are buckling the asphalt streets and you go bumpity bump over them. 

 

 

Oct 09, 2010 03:19 AM
Robert Vegas Bob Swetz
Las Vegas, NV

Hello Barbara and really one never knows, and it is possible! Trees and plants have feelings and when you stroke them and talk to them they grow better, if people are mean to them then they may just die!

I really like your post and it has been featured at one of the weirdest groups AR ...

PARANORMAL STORIES & EXPERIENCES

VB ;)

PS - If people really don't like these trees continue to swear & curse them, and don't give them any water, they will die for sure but VB thinks this is mean even if people don't like them

Oct 09, 2010 08:10 PM
Trey Thurmond
BCR Realtors - College Station, TX
College Station , Texas Homes

Wow. I planted 3 of them 4 years ago. I didn't realize they were such a problem Barbara.

Oct 10, 2010 03:16 PM
Barbara S. Duncan
RE/MAX Advantage - Searcy, AR
GRI, e-PRO, Executive Broker, Searcy AR

Robert, I love your group and being featured.  Thanks.

Trey, you'd better research.  Notice not one person has said they LOVE their sweet gum tree.  The balls are atrocious....good for nothing....hard stickers. 

Oct 10, 2010 03:30 PM
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