Dave's Garden - Gardening Community

PlantFiles: Sycamore, Buttonwood, American Sycamore, American Planetree
Platanus occidentalis

 
  Welcome!  
You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!

Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.

  Login  
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.

Username:

Password:


Family: Platanaceae
Genus: Platanus (PLAT-an-us) (Info)
Species: occidentalis (ok-sih-den-TAY-liss) (Info)

10 vendors have this plant for sale.

4 members have or want this plant for trade.

Category:
Trees

Height:
over 40 ft. (12 m)

Spacing:
over 40 ft. (12 m)

Hardiness:
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
N/A

Bloom Color:
Red

Bloom Time:
Mid Spring
Late Spring/Early Summer

Foliage:
Deciduous

Other details:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater

Soil pH requirements:
5.1 to 5.5 (strongly acidic)
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)

Patent Information:
Unknown - Tell us

Propagation Methods:
From softwood cuttings
From semi-hardwood cuttings
From hardwood cuttings
From hardwood heel cuttings
Allow cut surface to callous over before planting
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse
From seed; stratify if sowing indoors
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
From seed; direct sow after last frost
From seed; germinate in a damp paper towel
From seed; germinate in vitro in gelatin, agar or other medium
Scarify seed before sowing
By grafting
By budding
By simple layering
By air layering
By tip layering
By serpentine layering
By stooling or mound layering

Seed Collecting:
Allow pods to dry on plant; break open to collect seeds
Wear gloves to protect hands when handling seeds

By Ulrich
Thumbnail #1 of Platanus occidentalis by Ulrich

By Jeff_Beck
Thumbnail #2 of Platanus occidentalis by Jeff_Beck

By Jeff_Beck
Thumbnail #3 of Platanus occidentalis by Jeff_Beck

By Jeff_Beck
Thumbnail #4 of Platanus occidentalis by Jeff_Beck

By Jeff_Beck
Thumbnail #5 of Platanus occidentalis by Jeff_Beck

By Jeff_Beck
Thumbnail #6 of Platanus occidentalis by Jeff_Beck

By Jeff_Beck
Thumbnail #7 of Platanus occidentalis by Jeff_Beck

There are a total of 27 photos.
Click here to view them all!

Profile:

6 positives
7 neutrals
2 negatives

Gardeners' Notes:

RatingAuthorComment
Negative mrs_colla On Feb 29, 2008, mrs_colla from Marin, CA
(Zone 9b) wrote:

Where we live this tree drops huge leaves all year round, except in winter when it is bare. It never looks fresh and healthy.
Ugly leaves get everywhere and are hard to pick up and they take for ever to decompose when left in a flowerbed.
I don't have this tree but my neighbour does.

Positive Malus2006 On Nov 18, 2006, Malus2006 from Coon Rapids, MN
(Zone 4a) wrote:

I didn't know that American Sycamore were hardy to zone 4 at all - every book say it is zone 5 even though a few hints at they were once native to far southeast part of Minnesota until my Woody Landscape Class and my teacher took the class to a house near the St. Paul Campus and there was one huge tree growing just fine and my jaw dropped. They are very commonly planted in zone 5 and 6.

Neutral Idiopath On May 28, 2006, Idiopath from Austin, TX wrote:

The house I bought last year came with a large sycamore in the front yard, likely 50+ years old. It's a great shade tree, and I'm sure it helps to keep my house and yard a bit cooler, but it's been shedding sheets of bark all over the place.

Negative raisedbedbob On Feb 1, 2006, raisedbedbob from Valley Lee, MD
(Zone 7a) wrote:

I tried planting two Sycamores with no success. Each summer they became infected with Powdery Mildew. While not a fatal fungus infection, it sure made the leaves look awful. I finally got tired of wasting money on fungicides and I removed them from the landscape.

Positive rochha On Aug 5, 2005, rochha from Owings, MD wrote:

This tree does have a sweet smelling scent especially on hot sunny humid days, smells sort of like sweet human sweat. I only noticed it when I started to grow some seedlings, Then I smelled their leaves and noticed it, It is not a strong smell but it is there, if you are near a Sycamore see if you can smell it. get downwind of the tree. Also it's seedlings leaves do not have that classic Maple leaf shape, I noticed I have never seen a Sycamore tree smaller than 5 feet, so I grew some seedlings to see why, it's cause they look totally different than the adult. Their are more fan shaped.

Neutral escambiaguy On Apr 2, 2005, escambiaguy from Atmore, AL
(Zone 8b) wrote:

These are very large stately trees. Because of their extensive root system, they are very windfirm. However it's a shame they have a problem with anthracnose. It kills off new growth in the spring which creates a "witch's broom" of new growth afterwards and makes the tree look sort of deformed.

Neutral kayaker On Jan 22, 2005, kayaker from Milton, VT
(Zone 4a) wrote:

A bit of caution to those who wish to collect seeds from the seed balls:

The tiny hairs on the fruit clusters can irritate the skin and, if inhaled, the respiratory passage. The chaff and dust generated during processing of fruits to extract the seeds is dangerous, and people who do this must wear protective masks. Sometimes the growing roots can clog sewers and damage sidewalks, and fallen leaves can clog drains. American sycamore is a fast growing tree. Don't plant it too close to buildings and utility lines!

Positive TREEHUGR On Dec 22, 2004, TREEHUGR from Now in Orlando, FL
(Zone 9b) wrote:

The mighty sycamore as I call it, is a FL native to mostly the upper left hand side of the state but they are growing successfully much farther south. I have seen them as far as palm beach county and I have seen them growing in what looks like pure sand along the river in brevard county. Older sycamores have been found with hollow trunks. (think Winnie The Pooh's home) If you're looking for fast shade, plant a mighty sycamore. Although they have a reputation for not being such great trees in storms, all the sycamores in my area survived the recent hurricanes with flying colors.

Positive rjyellow On May 30, 2004, rjyellow from Circle Pines, MN wrote:

I have found almost 300 sycamores growing in the St. Paul / Minneapolis Minnesota area. The winter hardiness of sycamores in this area of the country is questionable. Yet, a large portion of these 300 trees, have to be 40 to 50 years old. I have tried over and over to find these trees in the area nurseries for purchase, but with no luck. I can only wonder where these sycamores came from that are now growing so magnificently in Minnesota.

Neutral melody On Apr 16, 2004, melody from Benton, KY
(Zone 7a) wrote:

These trees can grow to great size in my area. most are found in the wild along creek and river banks. Most folk hesitate to plant them in their yards because of the large leaves, seed balls and shedding bark that has to be cleaned up.

They are hardy and quite beautiful and stand out in a landscape.

Positive Monocromatico On Feb 8, 2004, Monocromatico from Rio de Janeiro
(Brazil)
(Zone 11) wrote:

I saw American Sycamores in Caxambu, a rather cold town north of here, planted along the margins of a river in the city park. These were planted in the middle of 19th century, and didn´t grow very much since then. The white trunk and foliage were gorgeous.

I don´t know, but when I walked near those trees I sensed a sweet scent. I don´t know if it came from the trees, or the water.. I don´t know.

Neutral dogbane On Feb 8, 2004, dogbane from New Orleans, LA
(Zone 9a) wrote:

This tree is sometimes used along streets because of its ability to withstand, and even thrive in, harsh environments. The only drawback I see is the huge number of large leaves it drops in the Fall. I don't mind the clean up, but others do. The one on my block is in front of my neighbor's house and it takes the two of us to keep up with the leaves. Small branches and twigs are brittle and fall ofen in even moderate winds.

Positive htop On Feb 8, 2004, htop from San Antonio, TX
(Zone 8b) wrote:

San Antonio, Tx.)
The American sycamore is sometimes confused with the several other trees in the same genus which are similar in appearance. If the tree has single seedpods, it is an American sycamore. If there are two seedpods together, it is a London planetree (Platanus X acerfolia). If there are 3-5 seedpods, it is an Oriental planetree (P. orientalis) which has the seedpods hanging like beads. All three have lobed maple-like leaves, but each is slightly different. American sycamore's leaf lobes are wider than long. London planetree's leaf lobes are about as wide as they are long. Oriental planetree's leaf lobes that are much longer than wide and deeply incised. London planetree is a hybrid between the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and the oriental planetree.

Each has thin bark that flakes which gives the trunks a mottled appearance with irregular brown, gray, white and green patches. The trunk at the bottom can look differently than the where the bark is mottled especially if the trunk is old. When the leaves drop in fall and winter, the exposed bark and the seedpods add interest to the landscape.

My tree was planted on an incline with very little soil and solid limestone beneath it. It grew rapidly into a beautiful shade tree. Obviously, it received enough water from the frequent lawn watering. During a severe drought and a temperature near 112 degrees, it did experience leaf drop.

Be careful where these trees are planted. The growing roots can clog sewers and damage sidewalks and driveways. The fallen leaves can clog drains. Also, be careful not to plant these fast growing trees too close to buildings and utility lines.



Neutral Glowclubbr On Sep 7, 2003, Glowclubbr from Silver Spring, MD wrote:

One tree I planted in Kingsville, Ontario in a low lying area with sandy loam soil grew 30' in 5 years. However on dry sites with heavy turf competition, it can also grow slowly. Do not use this tree on dry sites unless your don't mind summer leaf drop. Trees in the long gone old growth forest grew 170' tall, up to 15' in diameter, and lived 500 years.

Neutral mystic On Sep 2, 2001, mystic from Ewing, KY
(Zone 6a) wrote:

This fast growing,deciduous tree can reach the height 80 feet and 60 feet wide under urban conditions,but much larger in the wild.The flowers are monoecious,with separate male and female flowers that are deep red and bloom in late March.The fruit is rounded,fuzzy looking, tannish brown and are 1 inch in diameter.The trunk and upper branches are impressively mottled where thin,irregular patches of brown bark that falls away to reveal the white inner bark.Prefers moist,deep,rich soils in full sun,but is very adaptable to a wide variety of soils,including dry soils,wet soils, compacted soils,poor soils.This makes an excellent shade tree in a large area,as a child I spent many an afternoon playing in the shade of the one we had.

Regional...

This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

Atmore, Alabama
Chino Valley, Arizona
Grand Junction, Colorado
Bartow, Florida
Keystone Heights, Florida
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Zephyrhills, Florida
Elkader, Iowa
Benton, Kentucky
Clermont, Kentucky
Frankfort, Kentucky
Georgetown, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Nicholasville, Kentucky
Paris, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
Owings, Maryland
Valley Lee, Maryland
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Gobles, Michigan
Chaska, Minnesota
Circle Pines, Minnesota
South Saint Paul, Minnesota
Hawthorne, Nevada
Cincinnati, Ohio
Glouster, Ohio
Hilliard, Ohio
Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
Conway, South Carolina
Arlington, Texas
Austin, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Chesapeake, Virginia
Liberty, West Virginia
Rosedale, West Virginia



We recommend Firefox
Overwhelmed? There's a lot to see here. Try starting at our homepage.

[ Home | About | Advertise | Mission | Acceptable Use Policy | Tour | Privacy Policy | Contact Us ]

Back to the top

Copyright © 2000-2008 Dave's Garden. All Rights Reserved.

All times are recorded in EDT
 

Gardens.com Bloom.com Landscaping.com

Hope for America