January

Sycamore       Platanus occidentalis     Platanaceae (Sycamore) Family

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FOR V.P.I. LANDOWNER FACTSHEET CLICK HERE

You can observe this large native tree at the 1960 foot mark on the Native Tree Trail (east side of Bridge F).  Also known as American Planetree and Buttonwood, Sycamore can grow to be one of the largest trees in the eastern United States.  A deciduous tree with large alternate, simple, coarsely toothed lobes, this striking native plant stands out in the winter landscape because of its mottled brown, green, tan, and white bark.  Also noteworthy are the round fruits known as buttonballs that hang from the tips of branches.  Each fruit consists of winged seeds packed together around a central core.  As winter progresses, these seeds break apart and disperse to the ground.

A famous and common urban forest tree, London Planetree, Platanus x acerifolia, is found in many cities in the United States and other countries.  London Planetree is a hybrid between our native Sycamore and European Sycamore, Platanus orientalis, a native of southeastern Europe and western Asia.  Though similar, Sycamore and European Sycamore can usually be distinguished by the fruits, which hang one to a stalk on the former and two to a stalk on the latter. 

Be on the lookout for planned improvements in the area surrounding the Sycamore including small native trees with showy flowers, native ferns, and trail upgrades.  Call 382 7060 or e-mail us to volunteer to assist with these improvements or to donate funds for the project!

For more information, go to the Virginia Tech Dendrology website at www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO, the Virginia Department of Forestry website at www.dof.virginia,gov/trees/index.shtml, and the North Carolina State University website at www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factssheets/trees.

 (Researched and compiled by Chesapeake Master Gardeners Ed and Linda Bradley)