American Amber (Liquidambar styraciflua)

American Amber (Liquidambar styraciflua)

Appearance: A tree shedding leaves for the winter reaches, do 25 m in height. Crown at first narrow and conical, later – much wider and vaulted.

Branches and branches protrude horizontally or are slightly upturned upwards.

Trunk usually not very high, branched already at a slight height.

Bark in young trees smooth and gray, in the elderly – divided into small angular plates, and finally – quite rough, with a dense network of furrows and slats. Shoots greenish or brown, initially dense, woolly pubescent. Longitudinal donuts, with a slender top. have about 5 mm in length, are green and shiny.

Torsion leaves, in outline resemble maple leaves, in younger trees usually only three-lobed, in the elderly – palmate, Five- or seven-lobed, have about 10-15 cm in length and almost the same width. A tree wonderfully colored in autumn – in yellow, green and purple. Individual narrow flaps, Triangular, with a long top, are gently sawn at the edges, with teeth facing forward and slightly bent inwards. Top leaf surface glossy, green and naked, lower – noticeably brighter, with long bunches of hair in the axils of the larger leaf nerves. Monoecious tree.

Male flowers in small, Spherical, greenish inflorescences, placed two to four on peduncles of length 5-7 centimeters. Female flowers also in spherical heads, but yellowish color.

Fruit-bearing bodies in the form of balls about a thickness of 3 cm, which (just like plane trees) remain on the tree also during the winter. Occurrence: American amber is native to eastern and southeastern North America. It is also planted quite often in Central Europe as an ornamental tree in parks and collections. Flowering period: Maj

General thoughts: Ambrose wood provides resin with a very strong odor, which for some time was used in the production of chewing gum.