American Sycamore
Species name | Family: Platanaceae
submission: Jonathan Tauro
Identification:
Leaves—large, maple-like, alternate, simple, palmately veined, ovate, coarsely serrated
Twigs—zig-zag, quite stout, orange-brown
Flowers—monoecious, imperfect, very small, dense round clusters
Fruit—spherical, bristly, brown with tiny, winged seeds
Bark—thin, mottled brown, green, tan, and white
Hover over one of the descriptions to see an example.
Natural History:
General description—A very massive tree with heavy, spreading branches with obviously zigzag twigs reaching up to and over 100 feet tall. In winter, the persistent fruits resemble Christmas tree ornaments.
Natural distribution and habitat—Found from southern Ontario, south into Florida, and west as far as Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas. This tree grows best on moist, rich soil margins of streams and lakes.
Conservation status—Least Concern (LC)
Uses—The wood is used for chopping blocks, furniture, and chipboard.
References:
- Virginia Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Dendro.cnre.vt.edu. http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=36
- American Sycamore. American Sycamore | Department of Horticulture. (n.d.). https://www.uky.edu/hort/American-Sycamore
- Platanus occidentalis. (2018). Fs.fed.us. https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/plaocc/all.html
- UF-SFRC: 4-H: American sycamore. (n.d.). Sfrc.ufl.edu. http://sfrc.ufl.edu/extension/4h/trees/American_sycamore/index.html
- Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, July 18). Platanus occidentalis. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platanus_occidentalis
- Platanus occidentalis (American Plane Tree, American Sycamore, Buttonwood, Eastern Sycamore, Sycamore) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/platanus-occidentalis/
See our other pages
