This evergreen shrub or small tree is native to the Mediterranean where it is cultivated as an ornamental and for its resin. The resin, called mastic, is harvested primarily from trees on the Greek island of Chios. It has been used as chewing gum for over two thousand years and is still used as a spice to flavor a variety of food and beverages. The dark green leaves are leathery and pinnate. Dense clusters of small male and female flowers are produced on different plants; pollinated female flowers produce a small inedible red fruit that ripens to black. If suitable humidity can be provided, mastic tree is an easy bonsai to grow and suitable for a beginner. It is suitable for formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade, semi-cascade, literate, broom, rock-over-root, twin-trunk, clump, and group planting but broom and upright informal styles are most popular.
