Courtland in Southampton County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Sweetgum Tree

By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 15, 2025

1. Sweetgum Tree Marker

Inscription. Sweetgum trees produce yellowish-green flowers in the spring that turn to seedpods that look like gumballs. These seedpods have spikes but are not dangerous unless stepped on. Sweetgum wood is a dark color often used for furniture, lumber, speaker cabinets, and doors. Native Americans named this tree sweetgum because they chewed on its hard clumps of resin or sap. To get to this sap, they would pull the bark off the tree and wait for the sap to harden. This tree is also used in fragrances and medicines. Storax in the sap is believed to be an antibacterial and have wound healing abilities. The leaves, bark, and seeds are also used in antiviral drugs and antiinflammatory medicines. It is believed even today that there is no end to the medicinal benefits of the Sweetgum Tree.

Erected by Helping Hand Cemetery.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Horticulture & Forestry • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 36° 43.478′ N, 77° 4.337′ W. Marker is in Courtland, Virginia, in Southampton County. It

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can be reached from Main Street (Virginia Route 35) north of Oak Trail, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 21452 Main St, Courtland VA 23837, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Coastal Virginia

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Adline "Addie" Williams Bynum (a few steps from this marker); Sassafras Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); Joe Bryant (within shouting distance of this marker); Pvt. Solomon Stevens (within shouting distance of this marker); Loblolly Pine Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); Black Oak Tree (within

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 15, 2025

2. Sweetgum Tree Marker

shouting distance of this marker); Wallace Darden (within shouting distance of this marker); Edna Wilson Darden (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Courtland.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 25, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 81 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 25, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.