Sycamore has distinctive bark
Sycamores: Not Just Another Plane Tree
Sycamore trees are not high on the edible list, unless you’re in need.
Actually, sycamores, Platanus occidentalis (PLAT-uh-nus ock-sih-den-TAY-liss) get a bad rap. Though they grow big and showy, landscapers don’t use them because they can have a lot of tree diseases. Homeowners don’t like them because they shed piles of maple-like leaves and disrupt underground lines. Woodworkers don’t care for the wood because it tends to hold water and twist when it dries. But that is one reason why we like it.
The sycamore is full of drinkable sap, read water when you need it. The sycamore can also provide a maple-like syrup as well, but you’ve have to boil many gallons of it to get syrup or sugar. Knowing there is always a source of drinkable sap/water nearby has its advantages.
Sycamore seeds
To the forager, or the bushcrafter, another advantage of the sycamore is its light-colored wood can be used to make safe utensils such as wooden spoons, forks or skewers. Historically it was made into boxes to hold food as well as fruit and vegetable baskets. Other early uses included barber poles, wooden washing machines, lard pails, Saratoga trunks, piano and organ cases, phonograph boxes, and broad paneling in Pullman train cars. It has been used for butcher blocks for many years because it is hard to split, as well as flooring, handles, and pallets. Incidentally, there is a second sycamore of interest but it only grows in California and Mexico, Platanus racemosa. Chunks of its bark can be use for a coffee substitute.
And while it may never come to this, sycamores can grow so large they have hollow trunks and many a settler sought long-term shelter inside a sycamore. It was not uncommon to house a pig to a horse inside a living sycamore. At one time two brothers lived for three years inside the hollow trunk of an American Sycamore. One can believe that given the size of the champion sycamore tree in the United States. It’s in Jeromesville, Ohio, and is nearly 50 feet around at the base (582 inches at 4 1/2 feet high.) It is 129 feet tall and has a crown spread of 105 feet.
Mia Wasilevich using the fragrant sycamore leaves as a wrap to keep lambsquarter seed stuffed rabbit leg moist.
And just as the tree is human friendly it is kind to animals as well. Sycamore seeds are eaten by some birds including the purple finch, goldfinch, chickadees, and dark-eyed junco. The seeds are also eaten by muskrats, beavers, and squirrels. Hollow sycamores can provide dens for black bear. Cavity nesting birds that call the sycamore home include the barred owl, eastern screech-owl, great crested flycatcher, chimney swift, and the wood duck. In fact one bird uses the tree rather cleverly.
If you look at a sycamore of any size you will often see a line of little holes in the bark, made by the Sapsucker. And while the Sapsucker likes sweet sap it has an ulterior motive. After the bird flies away insects come to feed on the sugary sap. The bird then returns and eats he bugs. Clever bird. Hummingbirds also eat the seeping sap.
The naming of the sycamore is a rather complex affair. Sycamore is from two Greek words siga and mora which mean “Fig and mulberry.” First there was a fig tree in the Middle East called Ficus sycomorus, the Sycomore Fig of Bible fame. The American sycamore’s leafs and round seeds were reminiscent of the Sycomore Fig, thus it was called Sycamore. It’s botanical name is a combination of Greek and Dead Latin. Planatos (plane) was a Greek name for the tree, and occidentalis means “of the west” to separate it from similar European trees. Greeks also call the tree Daphne, a strange little word. Depending upon the accent in Greek it can be the tree and an area of Athens that once had an insane asylum, and where we get the word “daffy” in English. Racemosa means cluster and refers to the seed cluster of the California sycamore.
Also, according to Herodotus, the Greeks owed some of their success to the charm of the plane tree. In 480 BC, invading Persian King Xerxes camped his army in a grove of those trees. The king was so enamored by them that he put off his march for a few days. This delay helped lose Xerxes the war, and Greece went on to build the Athenian Empire.
The American sycamore is sometimes confused with the several other trees in the same family that are similar in appearance. If the tree has single seed pod, it is the sycamore. If there are two seed pods together, it’s a London planetree. If there are 3-5 seed pods, it is an Oriental planetree which has the seed pods hanging like beads. Those seed pods when dry have a coating of tiny hairs and can irritate air passages, so handle them carefully. However, that same hair makes excellent tinder.
Green Deane’s “Itemized” Plant Profile
IDENTIFICATION: Tall tree resembling a maple with mottled bark, leaves palmate, large, eight inches wide and long or more, with three lobes, glossy green on top, paler underneath. Non-edible fruit, a brown cluster.
TIME OF YEAR: Sap availability depends on location, year round in warm areas.
ENVIRONMENT: Grows best on sandy loams or loam with a good supply of ground water, typically on the edges of lakes and streams. Found in eastern North America, except the California Sycamore.
METHOD OF PREPARATION: For the American sycamore, the occidentalis, sap, tap like a maple. For the California Sycamore, the Racemosa, put chips of the bark and root in hot water.
HERB BLURB
Native Americans used Platanus occidentalis for a variety of medicinal purposes, including cold and cough remedies, as well as dietary, dermatological, gynecological, respiratory, and gastrointestinal aids
Thanks, you answered all my questions
Hey,
Just wanted to thank you for the informative web site and the excellent information you have shared. It has helped me identify this tree and also understand some of it’s historic uses.
Kind Regards,
Theron Cooper
Thank you! I love sycamores! Some day I will try to make syrup. More reason to love e my favorite tree
Thanks for showing love to Sycamore! For some reason it gets very little respect, considering its great size. Even in a standard tree field guide there is barely more than a passage.
My dog eats sycamore bark and small twigs. Is he trying to tell me something?
He likes to bark.
Other than recharging his “barker” what nutritional value or harm does this do if any?
I am currently treating my dog for poison ivy with Sycamore. He was long term intensely inflamed and losing hair until he was nearly bald, and nothing our vet was doing was helping besides emptying our bank account. A native elder in my area told me about the treatment, so I opted to try it. It’s been 5 days, and my dog is responding wonderfully to the treatments. He is getting it two ways, topically in a tea bath and ingesting the tea as he licks himself dry from the bath. I am now hopeful he will fully recover.
How did this work with your dog? I am interested in Sycamore use for skin issues.
That is a sort of plane tree (eastern plane), not sycamore as we know it in Ireland anyway. Real sycamore is Acer pseudoplatanus.
Here an Acer is called a maple not a sycamore.
Hi. The Acer family in general is also called Maple in the British Isles. Looking it up, it looks like Acer pseudoplatanus is also called ‘sycamore maple’ in the US. You can see from the Latin that it was considered to resemble a Plane tree (Platanus). Although I find this a rather tenuous resemblance myself, with the bark and seeds of both being quite distinct.
Is it certain that Platanus has edible sap, or could this be confusion with Acer Pseudoplatanus (British English sycamore), which, like other maples definitely has it?
Cheers.
Sadly, if you look up Sycamore toxicity, you will often find the maple Acer pseudoplatanus, which is toxic and can kill horses and other animals. The American sycamore, Platanus occidentalis, is not the same, and as a food stuff is apparently much more friendly, often serving as food for wildlife and man. Like box elder, Acer pseudoplatanus should probably not be used for human consumption of either sap or seed. The seeds of that tree are typical of other maple trees but are highly toxic. (see seed pictures on Google images)
Historical records say the Box Elder was used for syrup.
I once read that sycamores create space for themselves by exuding a substance into the ground that is poisonous to other kinds of trees. True or false? If true, do you know how long the poison lasts after the sycamore dies?
I have no reference to that. I know other trees do, such as the Black Walnut.
I have a theory that Sycamore trees might actually have photosynthesis cells not only on the top of their leaves but also on the bottom of their leaves. If you look at a mature mottled tree you will notice that the majority of them have the lightest color where the sun hits the bark; this sunlight could be reflected back up to the bottom of the leaves allowing faster growth(if there really are photosynthesis cells on the bottom). Also one can often notice that if other Sycamore trees are nearby the mottling appears to possibly project more light toward the others. But this isn’t the case when there are other tree species present.
Sycamores apparently produce something that is harmful to some grasses. i haven’t heard about it affecting other trees. there seems to be very little information available about this subject other than on black walnut which produces juglone. pecan and other hickories produce it also but in lesser amounts. hackberries also are harmful to at least some grasses, again, don’t know if it is harmful to trees or plants other than grasses. ailanthus, or tree of heaven is harmful to other plants.
I live in California in zone 9B along a river. We have many sycamores on the property. Some are multi trunks over 60’ high. One in particular has a oak, a catalpa and some other tree all deciduous living next to it.
I heard it was unsafe to use sycamore wood for grilling, is that true?
No. Sycamore wood is inert safe even for food bowls and the like.
is it safe to drink the sap of the london planetree and oriental planetree
If they are of the genus Platanus yes.
I too was taken aback at the picture of what I, as a European, know as a plane tree. Dean, I’m sure you have lots of overseas readers who might be confused by this particular issue. I read very recently on the flutrackers website (which covers all manner of illnesses) that 100 horses had died in Ireland from eating (winged) sycamore seeds (Acer pseudoplatanus), which I see in ‘Botanica’s Trees and Shrubs’ is known in the US as the Sycamore Maple.
Yes, in Europe it is called the Plane’s tree and in Greek it is like the girl’s name Daphane except it is said daf-ah-KNEEE… it just crossed my mind not to say to some one named Daphane “oh, your name means plain….” Common names aside Maples are in the Acer genus whereas the Sycamore is Platanus.
To me, it looks like Longfellow has just removed his hat. His hair looks a bit sweaty and mashed down. Nice article, you’ll have my mind wandering each time I see an old photo.
Thanks Dean, Great writeup. Love all trees.
با سلام مطالب ارزنده اي بود من فوق ليسانس جنگلداري دارم ودر اداره منابع طبيعي شاهرود شاغل هستم با تشكر
Bing translates that as: Hello my valuable content was Ms. forestry and natural resource management, I’m employed anymore thanks
I use this one for translations. Seems to get it a bit closer to what people are trying to say I think. translate.google.com
This is what it came up with for what was said there.
“Hey valuable content I have a master’s degree in forestry, natural resource management’m working anymore, thanks”
The most recent version of Google Translate’s translation makes the most sense:
Hello, it was valuable material. I have a master’s degree in forestry and I work in the natural resources department of Shahroud. Thank you.
(For the record, Shahroud is in Iran. I learn something new every day!)
My California Sycamore is dropping little red berries all over my driveway. I’ve seen the birds eating them and last night my big dogs started licking them up like candy and running around playing. I read that the bark can be boiled and used as a coffee substitute, so I’m wondering if the berries have stimulant properties like coffe beans. Also, do you know if the berries are poisonous to dogs? Mine havent keeled over yet, but want to check anyway.
Are you sure it’s a Sycamore?
I have a huge Sycamore in my back yard and I have three little pug dogs that think it is delicious! Especially the hard marble like centers of the seed balls, they are their favorite treat! They forage for them constantly! I gather a couple of bags full and save them for winter time treats to hand out!
Ode To A Sycamore
Where were the sycamores in my youth
So rigid and stark they now stand out
alone or in small groups
From where did they come so suddenly,
white and tan, blotched and silent, like sentinels along a street
Planted by some long ago act of God much alike themselves
quiet, bold, different
misplaced in the orderly flocks of oaks and maples
filled with grace, reaching towards the heavens,
gathering whatever light they could rob
from one another in a fight for photosynthetic dominance.
Leaves rattling in the breeze to somehow make us aware of their presence
much unlike the hush whisper of the rest of the crowd.
Limbs bent and cocked as arms and fingers racked with arthritis
unable to be released from a postmortem pose.
Now only in secret places are they noticed,
starkly different from the rest they stand
as the paddle dipped and pulled along the Paw Paw
so silently with only a ripple to disturb the scene.
Sunlight slipping through the canopy above highlighting them in a way that they could not be ignored by even the most oblivious.
Their trunks, tapered and perfectly formed bursting upward without the scars worn by their city brothers and sisters.
author?
Of all the virtues of this magnificent tree, no one mentioned the wonderful scent they give off.
Searching the internet for other who notice this scent also yields very slim results. A pity…
Oh Bruce! Yes, absolutely yes! The scent is gorgeous, and was enough for me to taste the flower last week, sweet and lovely. Added it to my chia bowl with fresh picked cherries and elderflowers. 🙂 Actually that’s why I popped onto this site, to see if the flowers were edible…and well, I just answered my own question. 🙂
Thank you Bruce, and thank YOU dear Green Deane for all this info. How blessed are we in this amazing age of technology? 🙂
Here’s an odd thing. I love the scent too, especially after a rain! However, others claim they can’t smell anything at all. At first, I thought they were joking, but apparently they are serious. Weird.
I live near a Sycamore grove and for last 3 years I have smelled NOTHING but my young son smells something he says is Amazing…maybe it’s genetically induced to smell what the tree gives off?
Question could ne possible eat the seeds from the American sycamore pods? i am trying to find new seeds to harvest in my neighborhood to make flower.
I’ve never heard of anyone eating the tiny seeds. I doubt they are toxic but probably not worth the effort.
Thank you for the information you have been providing for the ones who seek the truth in nature.
Peace and love from Izmir, Turkey.
You can also use the bark as a REALLY good fire starter. Found that out a few years ago when I was into playing with fire more 😉
I have been told that the leaves of the sycamore are used for pain relief and have helped arthritis sufferers.
Is this a recognised property?
Excellent post. Is the samara or seed of Acer pseudoplatanus safe for people to eat as a snack? I have read that it is on some websites but others report it is toxic for horses. If not is there any maple trees trees that produce seeds poisonous to people?
There’s an acid in some maples leaves — red maple for example — that are toxic to horses. I have not read of any toxicity in humans.
I have a soft spot for sycamores. Thank you for giving them some love!
Lol, I like how no one mentions that they spelled ‘plain’ as ‘plane’ in the title XD
Oh no… I just read the article and there are so many spelling mistakes. Please people, just use MSWord or even Grammarly. And maybe add your own favicon instead of the default HostGator one.
Please, what do you find wrong in the article?
The Sycamore is the Plane Tree, not Plain Tree.
Sycamores are also called Plane trees.
That’s because it is a play on words. Sycamore is a member of the Plane Tree family I think.
I am allergic to the leaves, as they have hairs on the underside which easily come off when touching the leaves or moving them around. Am I the only one or is it common? I have to approach the trees carefully when I collect insects from them, avoiding shaking branches.
We have two huge Sycamores across the street from our house. We have had a really mild winter this year and the trees are just now dropping their leaves…it is Christmas. We have noticed tiny droplets of sap on our windshields that smear when rubbed. Is this something from the sycamores or is it coming from another tree. I am allergic to Sycamores but the last several years have been exceptionally hard for my allergies as we have had very mild winters. Any info would be appreciated.
In the southeast US, Sycamores are hosts to Tussock Moth caterpillars, which can appear by the thousands in early Fall. The hairs on these caterpillars are irritant and neurotoxic to dogs who may contact them while sniffing around on the ground. Like the fuzz on the sycamore leaves, these hairs cause intense itching and rashes on humans. If one should fall from the tree onto your neck or down your back, you’re in for some hellatious suffering.
AMEN!
When I first noticed them they hung down from the tree one morning as if on a spider web. My face would have bumped into them but I avoided that. Also in the shredded bark I used to put it on my garden path looks like cool looking mulch NO! the bugs or moth worm will go there and hide under it.
My neighbor is trimming his Sycamore Tree. He has given me most of the medium sized limbs. I plan on letting the wood dry until next fall, winter. We have friends over to grill hotdogs when the weather turns cool. My question is, Is dried sycamore wood acceptable to grill hod dogs over?
Thanks for writing. In the article I mention that. Sycamore wood is inert and can be used for cooking, skewers, bowls et cetera.
Thanks for sharing the plethora of information. Having a landscape maintenance business in California most of my clients are in a gated senior community where the builders lined the streets with Sycamores. HOA regulations require trees every 40 feet in the lawns. Imagine how much fun I am having right now with all the leaves. Not to mention the lawns are rarely larger than 50 sq ft. I can look at them in a different way now. Thanks again!
Thank you for telling us about the sycamore tree. My favorite part of what you have published here is the photograph! I’ve hardly ever seen a more beautiful picture of a tree. The lush greenness of it and the contrast between the green of the leaves and the white of the bark is just stunning. Yesterday I went for a walk along the C & O Canal in Maryland. The white trunks and branches of the sycamores make the gray landscape more beautiful and the sillouette of the tree tops against the sky with their little seed balls are like winter’s holiday decorations.
I have 22 acres in TN, and I love my Sycamore trees. To me they are almost spiritual to watch, how they sway in the wind. Very Majestic, some of the old timers around here call them ‘Ghost of the Forest’. I imagine this is because how their white bark ‘glows’ in the moon light. Great article, thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for the informatio. Please i would love to know if the seeds are edible and does it in anyway aid weight loss? Thank you.
As an African I want to know if sycamore seed has any health benefit
What of Platanus racemosa sap?
We have noticed that a lot of the bigger trees in Point Pelee National Park in Leamington, Ontario, Canada………look this way…..the bark is peeling off the trees leaving a whitish tree underneath. It almost looks like the people disease, vitiligo……..what is causing this?
Thank you i have an ag natural recource class in highschool and this article has helped me so much. thank you!
O Sycamore é um uma árvore excelente para muitas curas.Eu uso para a medicina.
Hello, Dean:
Based on the comments, I would also like to know if the seeds are safe for dogs. You mentioned using the leaves to wrap lamb. What other uses of medicinal properties do the leaves have? Are they safe to eat? Are they good as fertilizers for soil? Thanks
Does anyone know a use for all the beautiful bark that falls from the trees (other than kindling). Maybe an art project … or crumbled up as …. something?
Great information. Wanted to add: Sycamore are great to add at the ends of each row of Other species of planted trees (especially pine) to nearly completely keep briars and weeds from growing that have to be managed. The shade Sycamore adds at the end of rows (during summer) prevents weed/briar growth. In the winter the leaves fall off the Sycamore much later than most weed species could survive and the leaves return much earlier than weeds in spring effectively preventing weeds year round. Results of weed prevention is that in winter and summer you can have visibility clean rows between tree groves and nice walk paths. Not to mention the amount of work avoided in fighting weeds/briars. The foliage from the pines planted in rows of trees (as well as their active green needles still growing for shade) keeps the ground covered and prevents weeds from growing. Also the leaves from Sycamore and Pine make great compost and heals soil quickly naturally under the pines. Another great use for Sycamore is in farming when you have large open fields of grazing livestock. The more trees the less grazing area. But livestock need shade when it’s hot. I know of no other tree with better shade provided per number of trees than Sycamore. Basically having only one or two trees to cut around when producing hay equals about the shading of 5 or more other species. Plus the leaves break down pretty fast and good for soil. And since the leaves are large the wind distributes them very well when pastures are cut low. Finally, I hope everyone knows how old this tree is and who climbed the Sycamore to see Jesus in scripture.
Thank you for the great content, it is always appreciated.
I do have a question, how allelopathic are it’s leaves?
I ask because, I just had a good amount of branches cleared to let in a bit of sunlight on an otherwise over-shaded part of the garden and am wanting to drop the leaves as a bit of shading/mulch between and around some of the garden plants so as to provide a bit of relief from the Florida sun while the plants continue to establish and make their own ground cover or wait ’til their neighbors (Seminole pumpkin, melons, etc) come along to help out.
If they’re too allelopathic for this purpose, perhaps they can be put to use as a weed control in other areas.
Thank you for your time.
Best Regards,
FRW
How about lacto-fermenting the younger leaves? I’m thinking due to their size they’d make great wraps for stuffing….
Very helpful information, thank you!