Platanaceae - Sycamore Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 77
American Sycamore Tree
Platanus occidentalis
The Sycamore flowers open in April in a hanging type of small flower. Both male and female flowers appear on the same tree. This is called an monoecious tree. The flowers appear with the leaves in April.
The leaves are full this time of year; they are starting to wear a bit in the wind and by the insects and birds. The leaf is always a great way to ID a Sycamore Tree. The leaf shape is distinctive, maple like. The leaves are three to 5 lobed with large teeth on the edges; they are 6-10 inches, alternate and simple.
There is a tree in West Virginia that the Pringle brothers lived in during the Revolutionary war for three years. I was so large that two men lived inside the tree trunk. This tree was a true tree house.
https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1923
You can still see the very large descendant of the original Pringle tree near Buckhannon, West Virginia.
This Winter Sycamore Tree image shows the fruit of the sycamore tree hanging on the branch on this cold January day. This time of year you will be able to see the fruits that cling to the branches and the beautiful bark. The Sycamore tree's bark is so interesting to look at; it is colored in patches of brown, green, tan and gray. The patches are mottled and peeling in sections. This tree will shed its bark as it grows. Some people call this tree the ghost tree for when the bark peels, it looks white like a ghost.
There is a great photo of the tree.
Sycamore seeds accompanied the lunar orbit of Apollo 14 in 1971 and were planted across America from Philadelphia's Independence Hall to the Asheville, NC Botanical Gardens and beyond. A few years ago, I wrote a book about this Sycamore tree in Asheville for my son and his wife and their two young sons. My daughter illustrated the book and my husband photographed it. Perhaps I will put it on this blog one day.
You can see this Sycamore Tree at the Asheville Botanical Gardens in Sycamore meadow. www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org
For the love of the trees,
Becky
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 77
American Sycamore Tree
Platanus occidentalis
Spring
 |
| The Sycamore Tree - Platanus occidentalis |
These Sycamore trees live in Cookeville, Tennessee. The fruits from last year are still hanging on the branches. The leaves are still not out yet in the beginning of April. The large trees, like the Sycamore, wait to leaf out till a bit later. This gives the wildflowers on the ground, time to come out of the earth and bloom and complete their beautiful life cycle in the sunshine underneath the mighty and tall trees still without leaves.
 |
| The Sycamore Tree - Platanus occidentalis |
 |
| The Sycamore Tree - Platanus occidentalis |
The Sycamore flowers open in April in a hanging type of small flower. Both male and female flowers appear on the same tree. This is called an monoecious tree. The flowers appear with the leaves in April.
Summer
 |
| Summer Sycamore backlit leaves |
 |
| The Sycamore leaves and fruit in the summertime. |
There is a tree in West Virginia that the Pringle brothers lived in during the Revolutionary war for three years. I was so large that two men lived inside the tree trunk. This tree was a true tree house.
https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1923
You can still see the very large descendant of the original Pringle tree near Buckhannon, West Virginia.
Fall
The Summer is coming to a close and Fall is in the air. Today, I went to the visit the Sycamore that lives here, at Priddy Woods. The Sycamore has this incredible bark. I always think the Sycamore is reminding us to let go of whatever we do not need to carry around in the life. Thank you for reminding me of that, Sycamore! Listen to the insects at night during the late summer/early fall, it is music!
 |
| The Sycamore Tree in October |
Winter
 |
| The Sycamore Tree |
This beautiful Sycamore tree lives at the Asheville Botanical Gardens. There is a meadow there called Sycamore meadow. www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org
This Winter Sycamore Tree image shows the fruit of the sycamore tree hanging on the branch on this cold January day. This time of year you will be able to see the fruits that cling to the branches and the beautiful bark. The Sycamore tree's bark is so interesting to look at; it is colored in patches of brown, green, tan and gray. The patches are mottled and peeling in sections. This tree will shed its bark as it grows. Some people call this tree the ghost tree for when the bark peels, it looks white like a ghost.
The Champion Sycamore Trees
There is a North Carolina Champion tree listed in Nash County. There are no stats for it. Here is a link. http://www.ncforestservice.gov/Urban/tree_detail.asp?Tree_ID=672There is a great photo of the tree.
My favorite Sycamore Tree
Sycamore seeds accompanied the lunar orbit of Apollo 14 in 1971 and were planted across America from Philadelphia's Independence Hall to the Asheville, NC Botanical Gardens and beyond. A few years ago, I wrote a book about this Sycamore tree in Asheville for my son and his wife and their two young sons. My daughter illustrated the book and my husband photographed it. Perhaps I will put it on this blog one day.
You can see this Sycamore Tree at the Asheville Botanical Gardens in Sycamore meadow. www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org
Plant a Sycamore Tree
Many insects, birds and small mammals find shelter and eat the fruits and leaves of the sycamore tree. Plant a sycamore tree and provide food and shelter for many important species.
I highly recommend this book about why it is so important to plant native species where we live, work, and play.
For the love of the trees,
Becky
No comments:
Post a Comment