A tall,
deciduous hardwood tree, also known as sweetgum, with 3 to 7 pointed leaves a little bit like
maple. Native to the
United States, but grown around the world for it's
foliage, which is bright green in summer and turns through yellow to dark red and falls in winter. The branches are sturdy and grow at close intervals, making it a great climbing tree.
It has flowers like small green mulberries. The fruit are little brown spiky balls the size of squash balls. The spikes are not terribly sharp, but very uncomfortable to walk on in bare feet. The seeds are released from holes between the spikes.