Liquidambar orientalis
Common name:
Oriental Sweetgum
Pronunciation:
li-kwid-AM-bar or-i-en-TA-lis
Family:
Hamamelidaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Broadleaf deciduous tree, 20-30 ft (6-9 m), slow-growing, spreading to round headed. Large terminal bud, brown smooth stem, rough bark on trunk Leaves 5-lobed with the major lobes having one or two short-rounded "sub-lobes", margin coarsely toothed and glandular. Flowers are monoecious (male and female) and yellow-green. Male flowers are in upright clusters. Female flowers develop into spherical spiny fruiting clusters. Flowers and fruit may not be produced in the far northern areas of the growing range.
- Sun
- Hardy to USDA Zone 7 Native to Turkey. Wounding the trunk of Liquidambar orientalis trees by gradually stripping ¼ of the total trunk lengthwise, results in the emergence of a thick, aromatic sap. Dilution of the sap followed by steam distillation produces a light yellow oil; this is called Levant styrax which used in medicine, perfumery and soaps.
- Amenable to bonsai