The ancient 'liquid amber' that survived the ice ages

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Liquidambar trees are botanical survivors, persisting from the Cretaceous period to the present day. Known for their fragrant resin and vibrant autumn foliage, these deciduous giants have retreated into specific refuges after being pushed out of much larger territories by shifting climates and massive glaciers.

The genus Liquidambar is a relict lineage, with a fossil record spanning from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary periods (approximately 99.7 to 0.781 million years ago). While they were once far more widespread during the Tertiary period, modern populations are restricted by historical geography. In Europe, extensive glaciation in the north and east, combined with the Alps and Pyrenees acting as a blockade against southward migration, caused their disappearance from the continent.

Climate change similarly forced the genus out of western North America and the Russian Far East. The eastern Mediterranean, east Asia, southeast Asia, and eastern North America are current habitats for these species. In these regions, they are recognized for their distinctive growth habits: they are large deciduous trees reaching 25–40 meters in height, characterized by palmately lobed leaves that can turn brilliant shades of red, orange, yellow, or purple during the fall.

The name 'Liquidambar' reflects a fascinating linguistic blend of Latin and Arabic, combining 'liquidus' with 'amber' to describe the fragrant resin exuded from the trunk when cut. This sap has served diverse human purposes across history—from being chewed as gum in the Southern United States to being used in cosmetics and traditional medicines. In Chinese medicine, for instance, the tree's spiky fruit (lu lu tong) has been documented since 720 AD as a treatment for various ailments including blood circulation and abdominal pain.

Beyond their biological history, Liquidambars present a modern urban challenge. Because they drop hundreds of hard, spiky seedpods—popularly called 'gumballs'—in the autumn, they can become a significant nuisance on pavements. This has led some U.S. cities to offer expedited permits for their removal, illustrating the tension between preserving ancient botanical lineages and managing modern urban infrastructure.

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