Sweetgum

American Sweetgum is a deciduous tree native to the eastern United States. It is best known for its fruit (pictured in the attached sketch) which is both a delightfully shaped little mace ball and a nuisance to landscaped yards and bare feet alike. It's in the witch hazel family, and the resin of this tree has been used for many interesting things throughout history... 

It has been used by the Aztecs in tobacco mixtures, by indigenous peoples as chewing gum and breath freshener, and throughout the colonial era in salves, cough syrups, plasters, and fixatives in fine jewelry. Some perfumeries still use it to this day. 

Each little gum ball holds 1-2 real seeds and a bunch of other sterile seeds. So, when chickadees, finches, and other birds nibble away at these spiky little capsules, they are more likely to eat the false seeds than one of the few fertile ones. 

I also love them because I find it delightful that something that appears to be so unfriendly would be called Sweetgum.