Sycamore, American

This tree is one of the 150 trees initially included in the arboretum to coincide with the campus's 150th anniversary celebration.

Scientific Name:
Platanus occidentalis

Cultivar:

Native to:
East and central North America

Mature Height and Width:
75-100 feet by 75-100 feet, can reach 150 feet high

Additional Notes:
With its shiny white bark and potential for reaching enormous dimensions in just a few decades, American sycamore grabs the eye and a lot of space around it. A distinctive feature of sycamores is rapidly shedding sheets of bark following periods of abundant rainfall.  While this unaccustomed messiness has caused concern in many new homeowners, it is merely a sign of very rapid diameter growth leading to conspicuous shedding of a newly outgrown protective layer.