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The sweetgum keeps its roots close to the surface, and sometimes along a stream it spreads them like a southern bell in a curtsy.
It is not a tree that I would want in my backyard, because it is so messy: in the fall it drops its fruit too generously -- they are spiky balls about an inch wide, and are the very devil to sweep up. It produces good wood, which is easy to work and a chunk of the hardened sap makes a good chew. It is quite tasty and lasts a long time. Observant photographers will note that I made good use of the tilt capabilities of my large format camera to capture an extreme depth of field.
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