American Sweetgum vs Castor-Aralia
These species are sometimes confused because of their similar leaves; they are easily distinguished by the Castor-Aralia's thorns.
American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) | Castor-Aralia (Kalopanax septemlobus) |
A distinctive tree with star-shaped leaves and hard, spiky fruits. Native to eastern North America where it tends to be found on moist to wet sites. | An uncommonly cultivated introduced species in North America, someties escaping into the wild; has potential to become invasive, but not widely planted. |
 Stems lack thorns; sometimes covered in ridges. Photo © Scott Loarie, Public Domain. |  Stems have thorns. Photo © Summit Metro Parks, CC BY-SA 4.0. |
References & External Resources
These short lists show only links helpful for ID. For a complete list of references and resources also covering other aspects of ecology, visit the links section of the full article on each plant, which is the first entry here.
