Spruce gum facts for kids

Spruce gum is a special kind of chewing gum. It is made from the sticky sap, also called resin, that comes from spruce trees. Imagine the sap that drips from a tree if it gets a cut – that's the resin! People have chewed spruce gum for a very long time. It was one of the first types of chewing gum in North America.

What is Spruce Gum?

Spruce gum comes directly from spruce trees. These trees are known for their strong, fresh scent. When a spruce tree is hurt, it releases a sticky substance called resin. This resin helps the tree heal itself. People collect this resin and prepare it to make spruce gum. It's a natural product, unlike most chewing gums today.

A Chewy History

Spruce gum has a long and interesting past. It was used by many different groups of people.

Ancient Chewing Gum

Long ago, Native Americans in North America were the first to chew spruce resin. They found that it was a good way to clean their teeth. It also helped to freshen their breath. They would collect the resin directly from the trees.

From Forests to Stores

Later, early American pioneers learned about spruce gum from Native Americans. They started chewing it too. By the 1800s, spruce gum became a product you could buy in stores. One of the first people to sell it commercially was a man named John B. Curtis. He helped make spruce gum popular across the country.

More Than Just Chewing

Spruce gum was not only for chewing. It had other important uses too.

Natural Glue

The sticky resin from spruce trees was also used as a kind of natural glue. For example, Indigenous women in North America used spruce gum to seal the seams of their birch-bark canoes. This made the canoes waterproof and strong.

Healing Help

Some cultures also used spruce gum as a medicine. The Dene people, for instance, used it to help heal deep cuts and sores. They believed it had properties that could help the body recover. In the 1870s, a group of nuns called the Sisters of Providence in Montreal, Canada, even made a special syrup from spruce gum. They used this syrup to help people with coughs and bronchitis.

Spruce Gum Today

In the 1900s, spruce trees became very important for making paper. There was a huge demand for paper, especially for the newspaper industry. Because of this, most spruce trees were used for paper manufacturing. This meant there was less spruce resin available for making chewing gum.

Today, you won't find spruce gum in most big stores. It's mostly made in small batches by people at home. Sometimes, people add flavors like mint or fruit to it. It remains a unique, natural chewing gum with a rich history.