Kalopanax septemlobus

The common tree aralia, castor aralia or prickly castor oil tree is a deciduous tree in the ivy or Araliaceae family and is native to northeastern Asia, from Sakhalin and Japan west to southwestern China. It grows to 30 m tall.

• Stems often have stout spines up to 1 cm long.
• Leaves are large, alternate, 15–35 cm across, palmately lobed with 5 or 7 lobes, each lobe with a finely toothed margin; lobes can vary from shallow to deeply cut to the leaf base; they are similar in appearance to a Fatsia leaf.
• Flowers are produced in late summer in large umbels 20–50 cm across at the apex of a stem, each flower with 4–5 small white petals.
• Fruit is a small black drupe containing 2 seeds.