Sweet Gum Tree, Liquidambar styraciflua, is a beautiful, deciduous tree native to the Americas. Its seed pod balls are large and spiky, resembling some of the more irritating pollen grains as seen under microscopes. It has been used at least since the Maya for its healing properties.
The sap, which is brown, is where the Latin name comes from. This sap, called storax, is an expectorant, has antibacterial, and astringent properties and has been used traditionally for wounds, diarrhea, and cough. Storax contains styrene, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, 2-phenylpropyl alcohol, 3-phenylpropyl cinnamate, cinnamyl cinnamate and vanillin. Studies have shown storax, in various concentrations, to be inhibitive to gram-negative bacteria Proteus vulgaris, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Also, gram-positive bacteria Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus brevis, Corynebacterium xerosis, Enterococcus faecalis, Micrococcus luteus, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and Staphylococcus aureus.
The leaves contain essential oils which are also antibacterial and antiviral. The leaf oils contain high levels of terpinen-4-ol, α-terpineol, α-pinene, and sabinene. Terpinen-4-ol is the active ingredient in tea tree oil.
Shikimic acid is the valuable substance from the seed pods. It is more concentrated there than in other parts of the plant. Shikimic acid is antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic. It is a precursor to the production of oseltamivir phosphate, the active ingredient in Tamiflu®. This speaks to its use as a remedy for the common cold. Interestingly, shikimic acid is a component of plant stem cells, and is being investigated for use in tissue regeneration.
I use the seed pods for tinctures. It’s the least damaging to the tree.
I sell it in tincture form here Sweetgum Tincture