Urban Nature Pictures day 24

[urbpan]

Sweetgum fruit in snow.

Comments

[ndozo.livejournal.com]

Kids in Brooklyn call those Itchy Balls and use them for epic battles.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Really? I would imagine Burdock fruit would make for itchier battles.

[rudbekia.livejournal.com]

Sycamore trees have a similar looking fruit, but it breaks apart and is known to be itchy.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

That makes sense, and London Planetrees are the most common street tree in Brooklyn.

[calypso72]

I hate those little balls of death.

My neighbor on the uphill side of our house has two enormous sweetgum trees that dump their so-called "fruit" onto my driveway all winter. I can't tell you how many times I've almost broken my ankle getting my mail because of them.

[ndozo.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure they're the sweetgums but I'll look today. I think they call it that because they're prickly to pick up not because it make anyone actually itch.

[ankhanu.livejournal.com]

They're like smouldering eyes in darkness... but, ya know, in negative.

I think itchyballs are sweetgum, but I'm not sure.

[ndozo.livejournal.com]

Re: I think itchyballs are sweetgum, but I'm not sure.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

That picture is definitely sweetgum.