
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sycamore trees can grow in the states of California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Where do sycamore trees grow in the US?
Sycamore trees are native to different parts of the globe. In the U.S, these trees grow in hardiness zones 4 through 10 and thrive in full sun or light as well as well-drained soils. The American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) also known as buttonwood is native to the Southeastern United States thriving in lowland streams and rivers.
Are sycamore trees hard to care for?
American Sycamore Tree Facts American Sycamores are low maintenance and fast growing shade trees. They are tough and sturdy, tolerating extreme weather conditions, pollution, salt and even wet soils. These adaptable and hardy shade trees have a very long life expectancy.
What is a sycamore tree called?
Sycamores also go by the names buttonwood or buttonball trees. This comes from the 1-inch balls that hang from the tree all winter and fall to the ground in spring. Each ball hangs on its own stringy 3- to 6-inch twig.
When should I plant a sycamore tree?
Trees with balled and burlapped roots should be planted in spring or fall. Sycamore tree care is easy. Fertilize the tree every other year if it isn’t growing as fast as it should or the leaves are pale.

Do sycamore trees grow in New England?
The fruit balls can hang onto the tree into winter. The tree is salt, drought and air pollution tolerant, but generally too large for use as a street tree unless given ample space. Newer selections have good disease resistance. Sycamore trees are hardy to zone 5, so are best grown in warmer parts of New England.
What states do sycamore trees grow?
The American sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis) is a deciduous tree native to the eastern United States—specifically the area north of Florida and south of Maine. It occasionally appears in far southern Ontario and parts of northeast Mexico.
Where do sycamore trees grow best?
Also known as the western sycamore, these warmer weather sycamores can be found anywhere from central California down to Mexico in zones 7 – 10. California sycamore trees are native along the streams of valleys, foothills, and mountains.
What is the difference between a sycamore and a sycamore maple?
Sycamore trees and maple trees have leaves that look similar. Generally, sycamore trees have leaves with shallow indentations between their lobes whereas maple tree leaves have deep indentations. Sycamore tree leaves grow alternately, but maple tree leaves have an opposite leaf arrangement.
Are there sycamore trees on the east coast?
Distribution. California sycamore is native to the western United States, northern Baja, and northwestern Mexico, generally below 4000 feet (1250 m). Except for in the most northern and most eastern counties, it is found throughout California, primarily along the coast and around the Central Valley.
Do sycamore trees grow in Massachusetts?
Meet Massachusett's Largest Sycamore Tree! Sunderland is home to the largest American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) in Massachusetts. This tree is listed as a Massachusetts Champion Tree, a designation based on a tree's trunk circumference, height and crown spread. tree of lowlands and old fields.
What is special about a sycamore tree?
The most striking feature of the tree is the bark that has a camouflage pattern comprised of gray-brown outer bark that peels off in patches to reveal the light gray or white wood beneath. Older trees often have solid, light gray trunks. Sycamores also go by the names buttonwood or buttonball trees.
Are maple and sycamore the same?
The Sycamore is a member of the maple family, known formally as the Aceraceae. (The Latin genus name Acer means sharp, and is a reference not to the form of the tree itself but to its timber. Wood from maple trees, including sycamores, was used for making spears.)
What's a sycamore tree look like?
Sycamore trees have large, light-green leaves that resemble maple leaves in shape. They are alternate, simple and palmate with coarse teeth. The undersides of new leaves are coated with coarse, white hair. In the fall, sycamore leaves turn yellow or brown.
Is a field maple a sycamore?
How to identify. Field maple has dark green, five-lobed leaves, which are smaller and have more rounded lobes than those of Sycamore; they turn golden in autumn. Its small, yellow-green, cupped flowers turn to large, winged fruits when pollinated. The bark of Field maple becomes corky with age.
How can you tell a maple from a sycamore?
Tell a maple leaf apart from a sycamore leaf Like the maple tree, these species have leaves whose ribs or veins radiate out from a single stalk or petiole attachment in a palmate pattern (that is, the lobes resemble a set of fingers). Some people refer to these leaves as having a "star" form or a maple-like silhouette.
Are sycamores invasive?
A. pseudoplatanus is a vigorous, fast-growing tree with high light demands, and it can easily become invasive by the spread of seedlings.
What zone do sycamore trees grow?
Sycamore trees are native to the eastern United States, from Virginia and Maryland to southern New Jersey. They're also found in the Midwest and as...
Does sycamore grow in UK?
The only tree with the same form is the willow, which can be found in many parts of the UK.
What is special about a sycamore tree?
As an evergreen, the sycamore has two important features. It is evergreen and it sheds its leaves in the fall. As such, it is an excellent deciduou...
In what states can sycamore trees grow?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sycamore trees can grow in the states of California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Il...
Are sycamore trees hard to grow?
Sycamore trees are easy to grow and they can be grown almost anywhere. They have a very wide range of habitats, including chalk downland and sandy...
How long does it take for a sycamore tree to grow?
I just had the same question. It depends on the type of tree and the climate in your area, but a typical rate is about 30 years. I can also tell yo...
Where do sycamores grow?
American sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) grow naturally in the southeast and lower midwest; California sycamores (Platanus Racemosa) like a warmer climate and are native to large parts of California south to Mexico. What Americans call sycamores, Europeans call plane trees; the hybrid London plane tree (Platanus x Acerifolia) ...
How tall does a sycamore tree grow?
American sycamore grows 75 to 90 feet high, spreading from 50 to 75 feet wide. It will tolerate compacted soil, poor drainage and drought and is widely planted as a shade tree or residential street tree in urban areas (See Reference 1). Its white bark peels off in patches, giving its trunk and major limbs a colorful mottled appearance. Colonial settlers called it sycamore because it looks like the sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), a kind of maple native to the British isles (See Reference 2). You can grow American sycamores in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4B through 9A (See Reference 1).
What is the difference between a London plane tree and a California sycamore tree?
It is difficult to tell the difference between a London plane tree and the American sycamore. American sycamores yield single seed balls while London plane trees yield multiple seedballs. It naturally forms hybrid combinations with American sycamore and the California sycamore. You can grow it in USDA zones 5 through 9.
Why is Sycamore called Sycamore?
Its white bark peels off in patches, giving its trunk and major limbs a colorful mottled appearance. Colonial settlers called it sycamore because it looks like the sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), a kind of maple native to the British isles (See Reference 2).
How tall is a California sycamore?
California Sycamore. The handsome California sycamore grows from 75 to 100 feet tall with thick, contorted branches and a broad crown spreading 40 to 70 feet wide. They share the distinctive mottled bark of American sycamores and superficially resemble them.
Do sycamores like moist soil?
They too like moist soil, but have a higher tolerance for dry weather than American sycamores or London plane trees. Sycamores are good as residential shade trees and will grow in compacted soil, but they grow more than two feet a year and need a lot of space to spread.
Can you grow Sycamores outside of their natural range?
Weather and Physical Zones. USDA zones only tell you the range of average winter low temperatures. Environmental conditions vary greatly within those zones. You can grow American sycamores outside their natural range, but they evolved in areas with hot, humid summers.
How big is a sycamore tree?
Mature Size 70 feet tall, 50 feet wide. Growing Zones 4 to 9. Native States American Sycamore trees grow throughout the United States and are native to the following 35 states.
How many lobes does a sycamore have?
American Sycamores have a wide dome-shaped canopy that is very dense. Sycamore leaves are similar to maple tree leaves, having 3 to 5 lobes, but the leaf tends to be bigger with less definition between the lobes.
What is the life expectancy of a shade tree?
They are tough and sturdy, tolerating extreme weather conditions, pollution, salt and even wet soils. These adaptable and hardy shade trees have a very long life expectancy. Birds and wildlife love this native tree and utilize it for shelter and food.
How tall is a sycamore tree?
The largest deciduous tree in the eastern United States, sycamore trees can grow 75 to 100 feet (23-30 m.) tall with a similar spread, and even taller under ideal conditions. The trunk may be as much as 10 feet (3 m.) in diameter. Sycamores have strong wood with several uses, but as the tree ages, a fungus attacks and consumes the heartwood.
What is the bark pattern of a sycamore tree?
The most striking feature of the tree is the bark that has a camouflage pattern comprised of gray-brown outer bark that peels off in patches to reveal the light gray or white wood beneath. Older trees often have solid, light gray trunks.
How big are sycamores?
Sycamores also go by the names buttonwood or buttonball trees. This comes from the 1 inch (2.5 cm.) balls that hang from the tree all winter and fall to the ground in spring. Each ball hangs on its own stringy 3 to 6 inch (8-15 cm.) twig.
Do sycamore trees make good shade trees?
The enormous size of a sycamore tree makes it impractical for the average home landscape, but they make great shade trees in parks, along stream banks, and in other open areas. They were once used as street trees, but they create a lot of litter and the invasive roots damage sidewalks.
Do sycamore trees have wood?
Sycamores have strong wood with several uses, but as the tree ages, a fungus attacks and consumes the heartwood. The fungus doesn’t kill the tree, but it makes it weak and hollow. Wildlife benefit from hollow sycamore trees, using them as storage chambers for nuts, nesting sites, and shelter.
What is the state tree in Maine?
Well-named, the state tree representing Maine is the Eastern White Pine. Native to regions in Canada, the Great Lakes, and the Appalachia, the Eastern White Pine is a large conifer, sometimes reaching heights well over 200 feet. Similar to all white pines, the Eastern White Pine bundles its needles into groups of five and cones do not extend ...
How long do white pine trees live in Maine?
Eastern White Pines are frequently aged at 250 years, but can easily live to well over 400 . This tree may not match every Maine landowner’s desire, though; Maine has hundreds of varieties from which to choose when planting.
What type of soil do trees need to grow?
Soil Type. Most trees require well-drained soil rich with minerals to grow. Maine is gifted with rich pastureland and rolling hills, many of which are covered with Chesuncook soil. This spodsoil is deep, well-drained, and pervasive in temperate regions.
How fast does a Leyland Cypress grow?
The Leyland Cypress grows quickly, adds distinct charm, and produces thick barriers between a private abode and unwanted chatter. Growing between 3 and 5 feet a year, the Leyland Cypress will give the Maine yard the fast-growing privacy for which they have been searching.
How much rain does Maine get?
Maine receives high levels of annual rainfall. The average annual amount of rainfall across the entire state is 41.21 inches, with slightly more falling along the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, planters can expect approximately 35 inches of rain and in the south, 57 inches.
What does Maine's new development mean?
New developments throughout the United States mean more infrastructure, more people, and more invasion of privacy. The residents of Maine have the option to plant and tend trees that produce privacy, turning away prying eyes and loud noises and instead enjoying the quiet and peace of private property.
What is the growing zone in Maine?
Maine displays five unique growing zones. A growing zone simply refers to the USDA’s determination of areas where certain plants are most likely to thrive , preferring to focus on minimal temperature ranges in which a plant can survive. The zones fall in bands across the state, with the most northern regions experiencing temperatures as low as -35°F. In small areas along the Atlantic coast, temperatures rarely fall below -15°F.
Where is the sycamore maple tree native to?
The Sycamore Maple. Another popular maple species is the sycamore maple ( acer pseudoplatanus ). This tree is native to Europe and Asia and is possibly the most common maple species. In Europe, the tree is still extremely popular and is used for making everything from firewood to a delicious honey made by local bees.
Where do red maples grow?
The red maple ( acer rubrum) and the sugar maple ( acer saccharum) are native to the East Coast and make for a slightly better choice for planting in this country, although they also have shallow roots that may interfere with the growth of grass.
How tall do Norway maples grow?
They are deciduous trees that can grow anywhere from 33 to 148 feet in height. They have a distinctive shape to their leaves and are known for the colors that they display during the autumn months.
Which tree has the largest reputation as a pest species?
The tree that has the largest reputation as a pest species is the Norway Maple ( acer platanoides ). The Norway Maple. As their name implies, Norway maple trees are originally indigenous to the Scandinavian area, although they are found all across Europe.
Is maple tree allowed in Portland?
Why Maple Tre es Are Not Permitted in Portland. Portland , Oregon is famous for the rich colors it takes on every autumn when the foliage turns beautiful shades of red, orange, and gold. Red alders, hemlock trees, douglas fir and a wide variety of other species all contribute to Oregon’s natural beauty. Other trees are not native, having been brought ...
Can maple trees grow in shade?
They can be very tolerant to shade and they grow flowers and fruit, which are considered very beautiful as well. Maple trees have a number of uses, including firewood and of course maple syrup, which is made from the sap.
Can Norway Maples survive in urban areas?
Even the grass that makes up urban lawns does not survive well when Norway maples are near. As a result, the tree may be attractive but it will leave the surrounding area barren and unappealing. It can also place native plants in danger as it degrades their habitat, leaching moisture away from them to sustain itself.
