Sycamore, American Planetree
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Gets 75-100' tall and wide, globular/irregular in form, w/ large limbs & an open habit. Coarse texture, w/ strongly horizontal branches that grow straight outwards from the trunk. Can grow to 150'. Fast growth rate, 1.5-2' per year. This tree is long lived, with many surviving 350-400 years.

Native Range

Kentucky Native — Native in Kentucky, and from Maine to Ontario and Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas, into northeastern Mexico. Introduced 1640. Often found in bottomlands near streams.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are monoecious, yellow green, 1" ball-like clusters, May to early June, as leaves emerge. Fruits are spherical collections of seeds, borne singly, or occasionally in pairs, on a 3-6" stalk (peduncle). Each seed is tiny, winged, and 0.5" long, maturing in November, disseminating in late winter.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Large, alternate, broad, 4-9", simple, palmately 3-5 lobed, coarsely toothed, coarse textured, truncate or cordate at base. Leaves pale and hairy along veins on underside. 3-5" petiole, w/ prominent stipules at base. New leaves tomentose, slow to emerge. Fall color is an unrewarding tan to brown. Notable Bark: Bark is gray-brown, mottled, patchy on lower trunk. Bark exfoliates from upper trunk, revealing white to creamy inner layers. Lower trunk more flaky, darker tan/brown.

Culture and Care

Grows best in deep, moist, rich soils with good ground water and in full sun. Transplants easily. Moderately drought tolerant, with limited salt tolerance. Native habitat is in the bottomlands, along river and stream banks. Prefers pH 6.6-8.0. Resistant to sulfur dioxide air pollution. Resistant to drought, heat and soil compaction, as well as flooding. Zone 4-8(9). Susceptible to leaf spot, but it does not usually kill the tree. Anthracnose fungus disease is severe, especially in wet springs. Sycamore lace bugs and plant bugs can do some damage.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

The white bark creates an impressive feature in the landscape. Strong branches. 4-season interest: Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter. This is one of the two tallest, native, eastern, deciduous, broadleaf trees. Often develops "witches' brooms". The heavy, hard wood is used for butcher blocks.

Suggested Uses

Use as a showy native shade tree in parks, large properties and along wet areas, where its litter drop (leaves, seeds and exfoliating bark) will not be a mowing problem.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA