How do I stop the production of the gum balls fruits from the red gum tree?
I assume you’re referring to the Sweet Gum tree that turns a beautiful red in the early fall. The balls are hard and poky and very prolific. This tree is native to Virginia and very abundant. There is no way to stop the production of the gumball fruits. You might just mulch the ground underneath it so you don’t have to mow that area. There is a variety that is fruitless, with round tips to the leaves rather than the pointed ones. In the nursery this will be called Sweet Gum ‘Rotundiloba’.
