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Sweetgum Seeds: More Than Just Gumballs

The "gumball" is a seed pod containing dozens of tiny seeds that rain down in breezes. Birds eat many, but plenty reach the ground. Interestingly, sweetgum seeds contain shikimic acid, a precursor for antiviral drugs like Tamiflu.

sweetgum ball

About Gardening: Bismarck Palm Seed Ripeness and Husk Removal; Growing Olive Trees from Seed: Challenges and Method; Philodendron bipinnatifidum Seed Propagation Challenges; Growing Rhubarb from Seed: What You Need to Know; Seed-Saving Reference Books Comparable to 'Seed to Seed'; Where to Buy Quality Vegetable Seeds for a Large Organic Garden; Dogwood Seed Germination: Scarification vs. Cold Stratification; Growing Ocotillo from Seed in the Desert Southwest; How to Collect, Dry, and Store Garden Seeds for Next Season; Better Erosion Control Than Crabgrass

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