yeah, trust me, that's nothing to be ashamed of planting...especially in a spot appropriate for a large tree

A Sweet gums has many positive attributes, and is one of my favorite trees. During the spring and summer I some time will squeeze a leaf just to smell the odor. In the fall they are among the ones with the more color full leafs, and give southern maples a good run for the money. I am not sure if it is the soil or what. but the fall leaf color on one tree can run from a yellow to red, to near purple.

They do have a downside, and that is the gum balls. In those years where they produce a large number, I use a leaf blower to rake them up. In less productive years, I just let them work into the yard. and add to the organic component of the soil. If they sprout, they are easily controlled by your rotary mower. Since the yard is usually wet in the spring when the gum balls fall, they easily are pressed into the soil.

How did your nyssa wildfire end up doing ?

Hello James, thanks for asking and I am impressed you remembered me!

My wildfire is doing very well. I went looking for a recent pic and found I've been slacking. The below pic is from May! Its technically barely visible at the far far left of the pic above also.

Wow looks great ! Yeah I was interested in one and learned a lot from a thread I saw you posting in. I ended up getting one in zone 7a. Minor die back on a few tips during a harsh winter. Put on 36 inches of growth this year so hopefully I don’t suffer too much die back this winter !

How old is your wildfire now ?

Using the old thread as a guide, I can pretty safely say its been 11 years since I planted it.

Looks like you’ve got quite the property there. Lots of nice trees. What are some of your favorites ?