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The Sweet Gum Tree by Katherine Allred5/22/2023 ![]() ![]() They see only the pale fibrous wood, easily warped, that surrounds the core. But its real value, one unrealized by most people, is its deep red heart, steady and strong. A sweet gum is the chameleon of wood, its corky exterior hiding its inner ability to imitate anything from cherry to mahogany. It wasn’t until I was a grown woman that I realized the true nature of the tree. ![]() And maybe to laugh when the Judge cursed each time he ran the lawn mower over the hard burs they produce, the tiny missiles banging against the house or car with a loud thunk and denting the mower blades he kept so carefully honed. Growing up in the Crowley Ridge area of Arkansas, I paid little attention to the sweet gum trees except to admire their brilliant colors during the fall. ![]()
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