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:
Maine to Ontario and Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas

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

Additional Notes:
American sycamore grows fast, can sustain rapid growth for several decades, and has durable wood.  The combination of these traits gives this species the potential to grow to massive size and persist for several hundred years.  However, susceptibility to a fungal disease frequently leads to unsightly defoliation early in the growing season so American sycamore is seldom planted in parks.  Instead, London Planetree, a hybrid of the American sycamore and the Eurasian planetree, is often used when a long-lived behemoth is sought.