Is Liquidambar styraciflua fruit edible?
Is the Sweet Gum Tree Fruit Edible? The outer spiky sweetgum ball is not edible for humans due to its hard, woody texture and sharp spines. However, the small seeds inside the fruit are technically edible and were historically used as a survival food. The fruit is edible to us but quite sour, giving rise to another common name “Sour Gum”. Black Gums are native to eastern North America ranging from Ontario south to Florida.