Buds: Large, shiny, pointed, sometimes sticky to the touch.
Leaves: Alternate, simple; blades shaped like 5- to 7-pointed stars, each point toothed along the edge, as much as six inches long and nearly as broad. In the autumn, the leaves turn a variety of colors, from red to yellow to purple.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on same tree crowded together in rounded clusters, opening at about the same time as the leaves unfold.
Fruit: Dry “ball” about one inch in diameter, covered by numerous short, often sharp projections, with many seeds, most of which are incapable of germinating.
Wood: Hard, strong, durable.
Uses: Lumber, furniture, flooring. The attractive leaves make this tree a handsome ornamental.
Habitat: Bottomland woods.
Range: Southwestern Connecticut across southern Illinois to eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas, east to central Florida.
Distinguishing Features: The star-shaped leaves readily distinguish this tree.
