American Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

The American Sycamore, scientifically known as Platanus occidentalis, is a large and majestic deciduous tree native to North America. Here's everything you need to know about it:

1. Appearance: American Sycamores are known for their impressive size, reaching heights of up to 100 feet (30 meters) or more. They have a broad, spreading canopy with branches that often grow horizontally. The bark is distinctive, with patches of white, gray, and brown that peel off in irregular patterns, revealing the lighter inner bark.

2. Leaves: The leaves of the American Sycamore are large, palm-shaped, and have three to five lobes. They are bright green in spring and summer, turning yellow or brown in the fall before dropping.

3. Flowers: In the spring, American Sycamores produce small, inconspicuous flowers that are arranged in round, hanging clusters called "inflorescences." These flowers are not particularly showy but provide a valuable source of nectar for bees and other pollinators.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS:  High Maintenance.  Sycamore anthracnose is a significant disease that severally damages twigs and leaves. Leaf spot, canker, and powdery mildew may occur.  Pests include Japanese beetles, borers, scale, and mites.  As a lawn tree may require significant clean-up from twigs, leaves, and fruits.

LANDSCAPE USES: Specimen or mass plantings,  Naturalized Areas,  Shade Tree, and  Screening.

COMPANION PLANTS:  Hosta,  Coral Bells,  Hydrangea

IMAGES:  Famartin,  2019-11-13 16 17 24 An American Sycamore in late autumn along Tranquility Court in the Franklin Farm section of Oak Hill, Fairfax County, Virginia,  CC BY-SA 4.0, (2)  MOHAMMED HAMZA,  A8-2-Platanus occidentalis (Eastern Sycamore),  CC BY-SA 3.0, (3)  Jeff Turner from Santa Clarita, CA, United States,  American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) 2,  CC BY 2.0, (4)  Richard Stephen Haynes,  Sycamore Tree Bark,  CC BY-SA 4.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown