What are the spiky balls in my yard?

What are the spiky balls in my yard?

The culprit is the hardened fruiting body of Lawn Burweed. Lawn Burweed is a winter annual which means that it begins to grow during the winter months. As soon as spring arrives, the seed head will start forming. Those seeds harden off to become the prickly little balls that hurt so much.

What tree does an itchy ball come from?

sweet gums
The sweet gums are the most prominent tree with obvious seed pods on their branches. The spherical fruit are covered with 40 to 60 spikes and are the quintessential “gum balls” used in crafts projects. They are more commonly known to children as “itchy balls,” and the tree called “the itchy ball tree.”

What tree drops prickly balls?

Trees With Spiked Seed Pods. If you’ve encountered some round, spiny balls under a tree or maybe still on the plant, and you’re wondering what it could be, it’s likely one of several options: buckeye/horsechestnut (Aesculus), chestnut (Castanea), or sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua).

What are the brown balls that grow on oak trees?

If you have an oak tree in your home landscape, you might have spotted small, unsightly brown balls hanging like fruit or growing into a branch. These little balls, called oak galls, are a common occurrence caused when the tree reacts to non-stinging wasps laying their eggs on its leaves, branches, twigs or flowers.

What kind of tree drops long brown pods?

Catalpa Trees If you have a tree with long brown seed pods, it may be a catalpa. Northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8, is the most cold-hardy of the bignonia family trees with long, slender pods.

How do you get rid of sweetgum trees?

Probably the best way to initially kill sweetgum is with a chemical called Arsenal. Depending on the size of the trees it can be injected or if small seedling/sapling size the trees can be cut then this chemical (or something similar) can be sprayed over the top of the newly cut seedlings.

What can you do with sweet gum tree balls?

If you’re up for some experimenting, sweet gum balls can be used to make a tea from boiling the young green seeds. The resulting decoction is known for its antiviral properties and can be used as a preventative measure against sickness, or as a remedy for the flu (consult your doctor if symptoms persist).

Are sweet gum trees good for anything?

Many of the medicinal properties of sweetgum are derived from the resinous sap that exudes when the outer bark of the tree has been damaged. The sap, known as storax, has been used for centuries to treat common ailments such as skin problems, coughs, and ulcers.

What is sycamore seed?

Sycamore seeds, the samara or keys, are formed from a symmetrical cluster of yellowish-green flowers that attract bluebottles for pollination. The female flowers have two fused carpels, which mature into a pair of winged fruits set at acute angles.

What are the brown things that fall from trees?

These stringy brown tassels are called catkins or tassels. They are the male pollen structures produced by oak trees (Quercus spp.). They hang in the trees like tassels on the end of bike handlebars, releasing their pollen into the wind to fertilize the female flowers.

Why do some trees have prickly balls on their fruit?

Some of North America’s largest, native, deciduous trees have fruits that are prickly balls. The fruits can add ornamental value while they remain on the tree, but they create a litter problem when they fall.

What are the spiky balls on trees?

Sweetgum trees produce spiky balls, which are fruit that encase the seeds. After the fruit mature from green to brown, they fall from trees and litter the ground, sidewalks and driveways.

Why do some plants have prickly pods on their leaves?

These distinctive fruits can help narrow down the plant you’re curious about, because there are only a handful that make these spherical, prickly pods. While they can make it painful to walk around the yard barefoot, the good news is that the pods are only around at certain times of the year.

Do all trees have prickly seed pods?

Only a few types of trees have spherical, prickly seed pods. And each one has distinctive features to help you tell them apart. You don’t have to be a trained arborist to notice that certain trees have unique traits that can help you identify them.