Mature leaves have a whitish appearing. American sweetgum seeds are eaten by eastern goldfinches, purple finches, sparrows, mourning doves, northern bobwhites and wild turkeys. For more information on how to build a great fall compost pile with leaves, check out our How To Create A Great Fall Compost Pile article on the blog. Canyon maple leaves have sharply cut lobes, consistent with its name Acer grandidentatum. myimages[3]="../../../images/top-banner/LX25-FreeShipping.jpg"
Alice Slusher Replied September 07, 2015, 12:59 PM EDT. One final note on composting the good leaves. We offer a wide range of residential and commercial tree services for all tree species . I would not plan on planting flowers or shrubs under them, however. Deep, glossy green star-shaped leaves mark the Sweetgum. The more lignin that is present, the harder it is to break down the material. It may be a function of soil type/compaction, etc., but every sweetgum I've ever encountered in a residential yard situation threw up huge, obtrusive roots projecting well above the soil surface.I've seen literally millions of the invasive natives growing wild in the woodlands of my native AL, and didn't necessarily notice the surface roots so much there, though now that I think about it, even out in the woods, those above soil-surface roots were pretty prominent. Each leaf is on its own layer and is easily separated from the other leaves and from the white background and shadows. Many people recognize sweet gum as a distinct type of tree. They are frequently (and inappropriately) planted here in more suburban areas as street trees and in addition to getting their crowns whacked back to avoid power lines, the roots cause frequent upheavals of the sidewalks. Black gum or sour gum tree facts can be rather fascinating for arborists who study this hardy, towering native species. 12 April 2007. Although all of these varieties have thinner membranes that break down quickly, they all benefit from being shredded before adding to the compost pile. Maple Leaves. Sweetgum leaves are palmate, or flat and hand-shaped, with five or sometimes seven pointed lobes with serrated edges. Early color changers, they turn bright scarlet or purple in late summer, well . Maple leaves have higher levels of nitrogen and calcium, which of course, are both perfect for plants, and a compost pile. ,