Dear WW: I've got a site for you! A lot of pictures and information about nuts. "Sweets to the sweet, and nuts to you" Just kidding of course.
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph8.htm

Signals over! Dear WW, somebody misinformed you. The gum tree with the spiked ball is the sweet gum. Here is a URL
with a picture, showing one of the spiked ball in center of the picture. It enlarges if you click on it.

http://www.nysite.com/nature/flora/sweetgum.htm