Tree Description
American sycamores are considered the largest deciduous trees in North America. In Texas, these trees can exceed 100 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter. They have a stout trunk and large, spreading limbs that create an oval or round, spreading crown.
Range / Site Description
They occur along streams and on rich bottomlands throughout eastern Texas, along the major rivers of the Edwards Plateau, and in the southwest to Maverick County.
Leaf
The leaves are simple, alternate, 4” to 12” long and wide; they are palmately-veined with the 3-5 main veins ending at the tip of a wide lobe. The leaf edge is coarsely-toothed between the lobes. The leaves are bright green and smooth above, paler and pubescent below; they turn brown in the fall.
Flower & Fruit
Male and female flowers are borne separately on the same tree as ½” round clusters on short stalks.
The fruit is a spherical ball about 1” in diameter, attached to a flexible stalk 3” to 5” long. During spring, the fruit ball breaks up into individual nutlets which have long hairs that help scatter them by wind or water.
Interesting Facts
A hybrid of sycamore – the London planetree (Platanus x acerifolia) – has been planted throughout the eastern U.S. as a street tree and can be distinguished from the native species by having 2 or 3 round fruits on a single fruit stalk.
Species Summary
| Scientific Name: | Platanus occidentalis |
| Secondary Names: | American Planetree, Buttonwood |
| Tree Type: | Deciduous |
| Dimensions: | Height: can exceed 100 feet Trunk Diameter: 4 feet |
| Leaf Structure: | Simple, alternate |
| Leaf Size: | 4-12 inches long and wide |
| Leaf Shape: | Palmated |
| Leaf Margin: | Coarsely-toothed between the lobes |
| Additional Information: | iNaturalist – American Sycamore |
Source: Texas A&M Forest Service Trees of Texas – American Sycamore