Author: O'Flaherty, Kelsey Joseph

The Sycamore...

Genus: Plantanus
Specific epithet: occidentalis
Family: Platanaceae
Species age: 100 million years

The sycamore tree grows in the eastern half of the united states, extending from Maine to Georgia in the north/south direction and as far west as Texas1. It also grows in areas of Canada.
Sycamore trees are large and have crowns that are usually wider at the base and slowly taper towards the top, producing a nice-looking tree. Often they are found growing in the flood zone of a river or in other damp areas. Because the trees live to an old age, often over 250 years, many times an old one can be seen leaning heavily towards a river’s bank due to erosion.
The easiest way to spot a sycamore tree is by its distinctive bark, which is flaky and multi-colored. Many describe the visible layer under the flaking bark as having a “camouflage” appearance. New stem growth mostly lacks this camouflage and is a greyish green.

Image Source: carrborocitizen.com

Another strong indicator of the tree’s identity is its distinctive seed cluster, which looks like a “fuzzy ball.” Technically this structure is a large cluster of individual achenes2, each of which is surrounded by a tuft of hair to carry it by wind to its destination. These structures start life out as a flower cluster, which blooms between March and May, depending on location2.
The leaves of the sycamore tree are less distinctive than its other characteristics, because they look very similar to a maple leaf. They feature toothed protrusions which extend from what are arguably 3 main lobes. Most sycamore leaves are much larger in size than a maple leaf, however.
Occasionally these leaves are affected by a fungus known as anthracnose, which causes them to brown, wither, and die. The trees are also affected by cankers, which restrict nutrient and water flow.
Sycamore trees have a distinctively white wood which is very hard and durable, and which lends it to a large number of uses. Native Americans once used the huge trunks of sycamore trees to make dugout canoes over 60 feet long4. Today sycamore is used primarily in furniture making and in the shipping industry via pallets and crates. It has a very unique grain quality which makes splitting it very difficult. Because of this it has a special place in making butcher’s blocks and other types of cutting stands3.
Sycamore are the largest trees I have found in Ohio. This is a picture I have taken of a tree verified as over 300 years old, about half of the maximum age for a sycamore.

Image source: Clemson.edu

Sycamore Tree
Platanus Occidentalis

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Sources:
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/platanus/occidentalis.htm
2. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/natural_resources/landowner/youth_environ_education/images/platanus_occidentalis.html
3. http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_ploc.pdf
4. http://searchinghistoricalhorizons.wordpress.com/2011-/08/25/the-sycamore-tree-and-trinity-root-september-11-2001/