Liquidambar styraciflua IDed by 5 lobed star-shaped leaves. I used this website to confirm the ID by checking the following features: pointed buds; straight trunk; small, bright greenish yellow, non-showy male flowers borne on an upright raceme (females are borne on a slender stalk, capped with a globose head), with flowers appearing in early to mid-spring. Sweet gum is a monecious species, but it has separate male and female flowers. This is a tree species I’ve only ever IDed by the fruit, so it’s pretty exciting to learn its other features.
