Habitat

• cold hardy to zone 5
• native to Eastern United States, from Southwestern Connecticut to Florida
• also found in Mountains of Mexico and Guatemala

Habit and Form

• deciduous shade tree
• typically 60 to 80' tall and 40 to 60' wide
• can easily exceed 100' tall
• Pyramidal when young, oblong to rounded when mature
• usually maintains a single leader
• medium to fast grower

Summer Foliage

• alternate "maple-like" star shaped leaves
• leaves are 5- to 7- lobed, 4 to 8" long and wide
• margins serrate
• dark to medium glossy green
• camphor odor when crushed

Autumn Foliage

• typically quite showy on most individuals
• best trees are orange, red, burgundy, and purplish
• some trees drop leaves yellow and green

Flowers

• monoecious
• yellowish-green in May
• not showy

Fruit

• 1 to 1.5" spiny balls; change from green to brown
• look like a mace weapon
• become noticeable in the late summer and fall
• persist in winter

Bark

• grayish brown
• deeply furrowed with narrow ridges
• stem bark is reddish or yellowish brown and shiny
• some trees develop interesting corky ridges on 2 year old stems

Culture

• prefer deep, moist, bottomland soils
• best in full sun, does okay in partial shade
• transplant B&B due to fleshy, coarse root system
• use larger plants when transplanting in colder areas to avoid cold injury to twigs

Landscape Uses

• lawn tree or shade tree for larger residences
• for fall color
• street tree where ample room is provided
• parks and campuses

Liabilities

• chlorosis on high pH soils
• lack of cold hardiness, especially young trees
• because of wide geographical range it is important to use northern seed sources for trees in New England or the Northeast
• has a shallow root system
• spiny fruit balls can be a litter problem

ID Features

• distinguish from maples because leaves are alternate
• aromatic foliage
• distinct shiny fruit balls
• star shaped pith
• relatively large terminal and flower buds
• corky ridges on stems (often absent)
• for young trees habit is distinctly pyramidal

Propagation

• very easy form seed
• cultivars must be grafted or micro-propagated

Cultivars/Varieties

'Grazam' (Grandmaster™) - This new pyramidal selection grows 50' tall and wide with glossy green leaves that turn shades of red-purple and orange in fall.

'Gumball' and 'Oconee' - These cultivars are both notable for their dwarf, multi-stemmed shrubby habit to 15' tall with a smaller spread. They exhibit good fall color, with 'Oconee' expressing better cold-hardiness.

'Moraine' - Probably the most common cultivar in the industry, this plant has a uniform upright rounded habit. It is faster growing and more hardy than other forms, plus it features good red fall color.

'Rotundiloba' -This is an interesting form whose leaves have rounded lobes. It appears to set fruit rarely or never. The degree of fall color varies widely each year; in addition the tree can develop narrow branch crotch angles and a more open habit. It is probably only cold hardy to -10, but a tree in Storrs, CT has survived several winters without injury. Due to its non-fruiting habit, it may be a viable choice for warmer zones.

"Shadow Columnar Form" - An as yet unnamed selection with a remarkable fastigiate, columnar habit. Woody plant expert Michael Dirr feels this plant has great commercial potential.

'Variegata' (may be the same as 'Aurea' and 'Goduzam' (Gold Dust™))- One of the finest variegated, hardy shade trees, this plant is a strong grower to 60' tall with a narrower spread. The leaves are mottled with cream areas that intensify as the season progresses. The habit is oval-rounded and the plant exhibits good cold-hardiness. Other variegated forms include 'Silver King' and 'Golden Treasure', with margined leaves.