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From: Robert Williams <>
Subject: [LDR] Re: LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-D Digest V03 #91
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 07:10:32 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <200304260500.h3Q50YTc025483@lists5.rootsweb.com>


...only thought I might mention that I, too have seen
the star-shaped leaves, and spiky fruit of the
sweetgum tree in Louisville, KY. They abound at the
old Jewish cemetery on Preston Street - I haven't
figured why the "sweetgum" is so highly prized in our
American literature, and don't remember where I first
began to see them mentioned. I did see one variety
(which I looked up) at the city mission in Eugene,
Oregon. It grows in the courtyard where the men smoke,
and I believe it to be liquidamba rotundilova, a
seedless variety of the sweetgum: it makes its mark in
the autumn with flaming foliage of yellow - looks like
wildfire. No spiky balls, however...
--- wrote:


> ATTACHMENT part 1 message/rfc822
>
> LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-D DigestVolume 03 : Issue
> 91
>
> Today's Topics:
> #1 Re: [LDR] Regarding a "Gumberry Tr ["W.F.
> Stephens" <]
> #2 [LDR] gumberry trees [Carolyn
> Beachy <>]
> #3 [LDR] Gumberries ["craig
> o'donnell" <]
> #4 Re: [LDR] Gumberries
> []
> #5 [LDR] Re: Gumberry Tree
> []
> #6 Re: [LDR] Re: Gumberry Tree
> []
> #7 Re: [LDR] Re: Gumberry Tree
> ["unicorn1945" <]
> #8 [LDR] Under the Gumberry Tree ["Gerry
> Tostenson" <]
>
> Administrivia:
> For information about the Lower Delmarva Roots
> Mailing List, including list guidelines and
> instructions for unsubscribing and subscribing, see
> the LDRoots FAQ:
>
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>
>
>
> ______________________________

> ATTACHMENT part 2 message/rfc822
> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 06:14:56 -0400
> From: "W.F. Stephens" <>
> To:
> Subject: Re: [LDR] Regarding a "Gumberry Tree'
>
> If it had star-shaped leaves & hard, prickly fruit,
> it may have been a
> sweetgum, which some call a gumball tree.
>
> Woody Stephens
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gerry Tostenson" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2003 9:58 PM
> Subject: [LDR] Regarding a "Gumberry Tree'
>
>
> > Need your help! My father born on Chincoteague
> Island was quite a
> naturalist. We had a summer home at Tolchester
> Beach, Maryland. He often
> referred to the trees in our yard as "Gumberry
> Trees", however, I cannot
> find that name in any tree identifying book. Could
> it be something else,
> such as a hackberry tree, etc. I am writing a series
> of poems entitled,
> Under the Gumberry Tree", so I need to know what I
> am talking about.
> > Gerry Tostenson
> > Mankato, Minnesota
> >
> >
> > ==== LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS Mailing List ====
> > Your Delaware USGenWeb Site:
> > http://www.degenweb.org/
> >
> >
>
> ______________________________

> ATTACHMENT part 3 message/rfc822
> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 06:57:09 -0400
> From: Carolyn Beachy <>
> To:
> Subject: [LDR] gumberry trees
>
> They are sycamore trees with gum balls Tochester is
> loaded with them
>
> ______________________________

> ATTACHMENT part 4 message/rfc822
> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 08:08:04 -0400
> From: "craig o'donnell" <>
> To:
> Subject: [LDR] Gumberries
>
> >Need your help! My father born on Chincoteague
> Island was quite a
> >naturalist. We had a summer home at Tolchester
> Beach, Maryland. He
> >often referred to the trees in our yard as
> "Gumberry Trees",
> >however, I cannot find that name in any tree
> identifying book. Could
> >it be something else, such as a hackberry tree,
> etc. I am writing a
> >series of poems entitled, Under the Gumberry Tree",
> so I need to
> >know what I am talking about.
> >Gerry Tostenson
> >Mankato, Minnesota
>
> Never heard that name. Black gum isn't likely as it
> enjoys swampy
> areas and Tolchester isn't necessarily damp enough
> <chuckle> If the
> leaves were star-shaped it would have been sweet
> gum.
>
> If you have the address of the house, heck, I'll go
> look and tell you.
> --
> Craig O'Donnell
> Sinepuxent Ancestors & Boats
>
> <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~fassitt/>;
> The Proa FAQ
> <http://boat-links.com/proafaq.html>;
> The Cheap Pages
> <http://www2.friend.ly.net/~dadadata/>;
> Sailing Canoes, Polytarp Sails,
> Bamboo, Chinese Junks,
> American Proas, the Bolger Boat
> Honor Roll,
> Plywood Boats, Bamboo Rafts, &c.
> _________________________________
>
> -- Professor of Boatology -- Junkomologist
> -- Macintosh kinda guy
> Friend of Wanda the Wonder Cat, 1991-1997.
> _________________________________
> ---
> [This E-mail scanned for viruses by friend.ly.net.]
>
> ______________________________

> ATTACHMENT part 5 message/rfc822
> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 09:54:20 EDT
> From:
> To:
> Subject: Re: [LDR] Gumberries
>
> > "He often referred to the trees in our yard as
> "Gumberry Trees"
> >
>
> I believe the berries of the Sour Gum and/or the
> Black Gum are referred to as
> "gumberries"
>
> The name "gumberry tree" may be an old (generic)
> term for these trees?
>
> ______________________________

> ATTACHMENT part 6 message/rfc822
> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 11:07:36 EDT
> From:
> To:
> Subject: [LDR] Re: Gumberry Tree
>
> I believe the tree in question to be a black gum
> tree which is also referred
> to as sour gum, pepperidge white gum and swamp gum
> according to a book that
> was put out by the Delaware State Forestry
> Commission in 1937. It was written
> by William S. Taber, B.F. I have seen such trees
> many times while walking in
> the Kent Co. woods of Delaware as a boy. The berry
> or fruit of this tree
> grows singly in pairs or clusters on 1" to 2" stalks
> and is a shiny dark blue
> when ripe in September/October. It is 3/8" to 5/8"
> long with a pale brown
> grooved seed inside.
>
> Charlie Blades
> Richmond, VA.
>
> ______________________________

> ATTACHMENT part 7 message/rfc822
> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 11:57:22 EDT
> From:
> To:
> Subject: Re: [LDR] Re: Gumberry Tree
>
> Hello All,
>
> When we bought our old house in Alexandria VA, the
> backyard beyond the line
> of the garage was really a small woods. On the edge
> was a sweet gum shrub as
> described in various posts here...except I will note
> also that the berries
> smelled absolutely wonderful, and I believe would be
> remembered if that were
> the one the original questioner is looking for.
> The house was owned by a
> woman who grew up in a small West Virginia town. A
> number of old-fashioned
> large shrubs not terribly popular in landscaping
> now, ie, rose of sharon,
> bridal wreath, lilacs, were also on the edge of
> this "woods" which I believe
> had been a nice area with a cherry tree and a couple
> of dogwoods, then went
> wild. As we cleared out the obvious weeds (ie,
> pokeberry and excessive
> amounts of Virginia Creeper), alot of wild roses and
> daylillies emerged (as
> well as a grape plant which had made a happy home on
> the tangled
> weed/tree/shrub tops).
>
> Janet Hunter
>
> ______________________________

> ATTACHMENT part 8 message/rfc822
> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 11:02:29 -0500
> From: "unicorn1945" <>
> To:
> Subject: Re: [LDR] Re: Gumberry Tree
>
> Very interesting. Sounds like you might have hit
> the mark on this one. I'll have to look this one
> up.
>
> I just want to thank this list for being the kind of
> list that welcomes discussions of this sort even
> though it's not about last names. I think local
> history and anything pertaining to it has a lot to
> do with our lineage and helps determine our heritage
> in many ways. Many lists won't tolerate this but I
> thrive on it and hope many others do also.
> Shirley
> Indiana
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> To:
> Sent: Friday, April 25, 2003 10:07 AM
> Subject: [LDR] Re: Gumberry Tree
>
>
> I believe the tree in question to be a black gum
> tree which is also referred
> to as sour gum, pepperidge white gum and swamp gum
> according to a book that
> was put out by the Delaware State Forestry
> Commission in 1937. It was written
> by William S. Taber, B.F. I have seen such trees
> many times while walking in
> the Kent Co. woods of Delaware as a boy. The berry
> or fruit of this tree
> grows singly in pairs or clusters on 1" to 2"
> stalks and is a shiny dark blue
> when ripe in September/October. It is 3/8" to 5/8"
> long with a pale brown
> grooved seed inside.
>
> Charlie Blades
> Richmond, VA.
>
>
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> The Lower DelMarVa Roots Mailing List FAQ:
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>
> ______________________________

> ATTACHMENT part 9 message/rfc822
> Date: Fri, 25 Apr 2003 14:10:30 -0500
> From: "Gerry Tostenson" <>
> To:
> Subject: [LDR] Under the Gumberry Tree
>
> Thank you all very much. I think now I know that it
> probably was a Sour Gum Tree. It was not a scrub,
> but a tall straight tree approximately 30 feet high.
> In the fall the leaves turned various shades of deep
> red and the berries turned almost reddish-black and
> yes, they were sour. The birds loved them but beware
> if your vehicle was parked beneath. By the way my
> father also called the Brown Thrasher a Rusty Monk.
> We have them here and it takes my mind a moment to
> change my thinking from Rusty Monk to Brown
> Thrasher.
> Gerry Tostenson
> Mankato, Minnesota
>


=====
Robert Anthony Williams

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