American Sycamore
(Platanus occidentalis)



The American Sycamore is one of the native species to North American that is a member of the Platanus family.

Height:
The height of the American sycamore is anywhere between 60 and 120 feet tall. The trunk diameter can be as wide as 4 feet.

Leaf and Bark Type:
Leaves are simple, alternate, and palmately veined with veins ending at the tip of the leaf's wide lobes. Leaves are also coarsely toothed between lobes. On young tress, bark is smooth and white to greenish-grey in color.

Where does it grow and in what conditions:
American sycamores occur along streams and rich moist soils. They can be found primarily in eastern Texas, as well as along the major rivers in the Edwards Plateau. They are also widespread in the eastern US, and occurs in the mountains of northeastern Mexico. Direct sunlight is required for seedlings to grow, and are estimated to grow to be up to 500 or 600 years old, but 250 years being the normal age.

Pollinators:
American sycamores distribute their seeds primarily through wind or water. Flowers are pollinated by the wind.

Fruit:
The fruit of the American sycamore is a sphere that is 1” in diameter. This is attached to a flexible stalk that is between 3-5 inches. The fruit then breaks up into individual pieces in the spring, and is scattered by the wind.

Uses:
In industry, it is grown for pulp and rough lumber which is used in butchers blocks, furniture, interior trim, and flooring. It is also planted when a large, fast growing tree is desired, and is popular as a street tree due to its tolerance of air pollution and disease resistance.

GPS Location


Submitted by Larrimer
Pictures coming soon

Citations:
https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_ploc.pdf
http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ploc
http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/treedetails/?id=80
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/am_sycamore.htm