The California Star Tree

CaliforniaMelanie

Haha! Thank you to those here who asked about and had identified for them the sweetgum. Ever since I moved to the west coast and first saw these things, I've been calling them "The California Star Tree" because I had no clue what they were, but I thought the leaves were shaped like stars.

They turn a gorgeous red in autumn, and since not that many trees around here turn brilliant colors, I just LOVE these. They actually begin to turn in late August, believe it or not.

Anyway, this post may have nothing to do with anything, I just found it funny. I'll probably always think of it as a California Star Tree anyway.

ETA: Here's the California Star Tree in front of my neighbor's yard. I wish my yard had a few of these but my yard is full as it is:

Eric Frei

Their starkers over here at the moment a dropping those prickly pods ... apparently there's a variety that dont drop the prickles.

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phill ellison

it looks to me it may be a Liquidambar or some kind of maple

CaliforniaMelanie

Thanks so much!

Ekka, we get the prickly pods too. I can't remember what time of year, though. (scratching head) Well, not summer, anyway, as I haven't stepped on any in my bare feet lately. (Yeowch!)

Phil, thank you...liquidambar is such a pretty name...it MAY even beat out California Star Tree...

phill ellison

the liquidambar contains 4 species of deciduous trees from turkey, East Asia, north America and Mexico. I not sure what the one you got in the photo but it could be ether liquidamber orientalis (oriental sweet gum) or liquidamber styraciflua (sweet gum). I hope that will help you out a bit

CaliforniaMelanie

It did...thanks bunches. I'll take a closer picture in the near future which might help. I just didn't want to go out onto the sidewalk because there were three people right there whose car had broken down, and I felt funny standing next to them to take a picture of a tree...