American Sycamore
Scientific Name: Platanus occidentalis
pronounced PLAT-a-nuz ok-si-den-TAH-lis
— Platanus from Greek platanos, the Oriental Plane Tree
— occidentalis, Latin for western (meaning Western Hemisphere)
Plane-tree Family (Platanaceae). This family contains only 5 species, all in the genus Platanus.
Other Common Names: American Plane Tree, Buttonball Tree, Buttonwood
The American sycamore is easily recognizable by its distinctive bark, which exfoliates in irregular patches to reveal a mottled white or yellowish inner bark. As the tree ages, layers of small brownish scales build in thickness on the lower and middle portions of the trunk.
pronounced PLAT-a-nuz ok-si-den-TAH-lis
— Platanus from Greek platanos, the Oriental Plane Tree
— occidentalis, Latin for western (meaning Western Hemisphere)
Plane-tree Family (Platanaceae). This family contains only 5 species, all in the genus Platanus.
Other Common Names: American Plane Tree, Buttonball Tree, Buttonwood
The American sycamore is easily recognizable by its distinctive bark, which exfoliates in irregular patches to reveal a mottled white or yellowish inner bark. As the tree ages, layers of small brownish scales build in thickness on the lower and middle portions of the trunk.
Bark photos: David Rosher
The leaves are large and maple-leaf-shaped, with coarse teeth along the edges.
The leaves are large and maple-leaf-shaped, with coarse teeth along the edges.
Jim Robbins, CC BY-NC-ND
The fruits mature in a small, brown, burr-like ball that hangs from the branch. The ball is not a single fruit itself but instead an aggregate of many small seed-like fruits called achenes, with fuzzy hair-like structures attached. The balls are very light, and can float on water, which is useful in the dispersal. Their lightness also enables them to be carried by wind.
The fruits mature in a small, brown, burr-like ball that hangs from the branch. The ball is not a single fruit itself but instead an aggregate of many small seed-like fruits called achenes, with fuzzy hair-like structures attached. The balls are very light, and can float on water, which is useful in the dispersal. Their lightness also enables them to be carried by wind.
American Sycamore is found most commonly in bottomland or floodplain areas, thriving in the wet environments provided by rivers, streams, or abundant groundwater, and will tolerate significant temporary flooding. On uplands, it is strictly a pioneer species, and its presence indicates a past disturbance. In the Preserve, American Sycamore grows in the bottomlands next to the Deer and Salamander trails. It is also occasionally found in upland settings, most noticeably along the southern end of the Turtle trail.
For more info & photos: VA Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet
Interesting Facts:
For more info & photos: VA Tech Dendrology Fact Sheet
Interesting Facts:
- The American Sycamore is unusual in that it is both fast-growing and long-lived. A tree may reach heights of 20-30 feet in just 10 years, and some specimens are reported to have lived for over 400 years. It’s also a large tree, with the largest trunk diameter among North American deciduous trees – up to 16 feet.
- English immigrants gave the American Sycamore its name, thinking it resembled their own English Sycamore. But the English version is actually a maple.
- The American Sycamore is also known as the buttonwood tree since the seeds of the American sycamore are borne in clusters that resemble buttons.
- The greatest tree ever seen by white men in Ohio is believed to have been an enormous sycamore. It was so prodigious in bulk that as early as 1810 it was described in the Cincinnati Almanac as one of the natural wonders of Ohio. In June 1808, according to reliable testimony, a party of thirteen persons, all on horseback, rode into the hollow trunk of this sycamore and found that room enough remained for two more horses and their riders.