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Campus Tree Walk | American Sycamore

American Sycamore | Platanus occidentalis

Scientific Name: Platanus occidentalis
Pronunciation: LAT-uh-nus ock-sih-den-TAY-liss
Common Names: sycamore, American planetree
Family: Platanaceae
Origin: native to the eastern half of the United States and southern Ontario
Height: 75 to 90 feet | Spread: 50 to 70 feet

Description: Sycamore is a massive tree reaching 75 to 90 feet in height, making it one of the largest trees in that can be found in North America. Sycamore has a rapid growth rate, and tolerates wet and compacted soil; and its grey-brown bark peels off in patches, revealing a smooth ghostly white inner layer–one of the tree’s most distinguishable traits. It has a large leaf with three to five lobes, edges that are like saw teeth, a fuzzy underside.