Is this a Sweetgum tree?

[Tzuridis]

Hi my names Ted, Im new here. I have tried to make a few bows before with utter failure . Most recently with a crab apple tree someone cut down, but unfortunately that didnt work either.

Anyway I found a lot of these trees in the woods in Eastern NC. I believe they are sweetgum trees but there are no spiky ball fruits any where to be found. Does anyone know if this in fact some type of fruitless sweetgum tree? Could it be since all the trees around are so young they do not produce the spiky ball fruit yet?





Thank you for reading and replying.

[PrimitiveTim]

ya dude looks like a sweetgum.

[Tzuridis]

Ok thank you

[richardzane]

the leaf is sweetgum,
but that bumpy barked tree there looks a lot like a hackberry. we don't have sweet gum in the wild here though in NE Ok.

[Tzuridis]

Yea thats what I thought at first but I cant find any other types of leaves other than the one I took a picture of.

[PrimitiveTim]

I wouldn't rule it out cause of the bark.  I've seen some pretty weird bark on sweetgum trees.  The bark will be a lot softer than that of hackberry.

[Tzuridis]

I read a couple of times on here that sweetgum wood is good for bows just as hackberry is. Correct? If thats right then it wouldnt really matter would it?

[osagejack]

that is without doubt sweetgum leaf  hackberry tree

[Hrothgar]

You may want to check out the wood property stats for this wood, the sweetgum in the U.S. isn't the same gum tree found in Austrailia and isn't related to the eucalyptus (sp?) family.

[Prarie Bowyer]

Sweet Gum is a lovely carving wood.  If those bow properties aren't steller I'd say let it get bigger.

[Tzuridis]

Ok thanks guys