How to Classify an American Sycamore Tree

Sycamore trees are winter white without their leaves.

The American Sycamore tree is native to the Eastern United States. It's a distinctive looking tree that can be classified by its height, circumference, fruits, leaves and bark. The American Sycamore tree is a favorite food of beavers, a nesting spot for many types of birds including ducks and small animals such as squirrels. Humans use the wood of the sycamore for building furniture, boxes and flooring. Sycamores are a favorite yard tree due to their excellent shade.

Instructions

1. Look at the size of the tree. The American Sycamore is a very tall tree with a huge circumference. These trees may grow to 100 feet tall, but it is their breadth that is most impressive. American Sycamore trees may spread to 60 feet wide.

2. Examine the leaves. American Sycamore trees grow very large palmate, or hand-shaped leaves with three or five lobes. These leaves are bright green on top and lighter on the bottom and reach 7 to 8 inches long and wide. American Sycamore trees lose their leaves in the winter.

3. Identify the bark. American Sycamore trees have a distinctive mottled white bark that is especially noticeable in the winter when the leaves have fallen. The white bark peels off the tree, leaving gray or green splotches of the trunk wood underneath.

4. Look for the flowers. American Sycamore trees have very tiny flowers that grow packed tightly in a fruit. All of these trees are monoecious, growing both male and female flowers. The seeds, called achenes, are light and feathery and travel well on the wind or water once released from the fruits.

References

• Ohio.gov: American Sycamore
• Fairfax County Public Schools: American Sycamore
• Cirrus: American Sycamore Tree