Buttonwood Platanus occidentalis
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- PLAT-an-us ok-sih-DEN-tal-iss
- Description
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Platanus occidentalis, or American Sycamore, is a large deciduous tree that may grow 75 to 90 feet tall and a trunk diameter of 10 feet or more. It is one of the largest hardwood trees, by diameter, in North America. When siting this tree on your landscape, keep in mind that this will be a large tree for a large space. It is native to North Carolina and can be found throughout the state, although it is more common and larger along streams and bottom land.
The tree has alternate leaves with 3 to 5 lobes and a coarsely toothed margin. The bark of the tree has a mottled look created by the darker outer layers peeling to expose the lighter inner layers. The bark peels off in patches and the whitened inner bark is the most ornamental trait of this plant. This plant is pyramidal in youth, and as it develops it becomes more rounded with an irregular crown and supported by a few large diameter branches. Branches are usually spaced two to four feet apart along the trunk to develop a strong structure. The dominant central leader which typically develops on sycamore usually assures that the structure of major limbs is desirable with little corrective pruning required other than removing the occassional upright, aggressive branches with tight crotches. In spring, very small flowers mature in clusters, typically one cluster to a stalk. The tree produces a spherical multiple of seeds borne on a 3- to 6-inch stalk. Each seed is tiny, winged, and 1/2 inch long.
Leaves commonly appear diagonally folded along two lines, such that the lateral sides project downwards, turning upward in fall as leaves dry to drop, hence in different planes. Plants in America were backcrossed against the London plant tree (P. x acerifolia). London plane trees have 3-5 gumballs per peduncle and deep sinuses while the backcrossed hybrids have 2 gumballs per peduncle, often with the lateral one aborting. Sinuses are difficult to discern as to depth.
This plant prefers full sun to deep, moist, fertile soils. It is tolerant of clay, sand, loam, alkaline, and wet soils. This plant has moderate drought tolerance. It is pollution tolerant, has a rapid growth rate, but has numerous pest and disease problems.
Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Sycamore anthracnose is a significant disease that can severely damage the foliage and twigs, often precipitating premature leaf drop. Canker, leaf spot and powdery mildew may also occur. Insect visitors include borers, scale, Japanese beetles, caterpillars, and mites. When grown as a lawn tree, litter from twigs, large leaves, bark and fruiting balls can pose significant clean-up problems. This tree is susceptible to wind damage.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Howard'
- 'Howard'
- 'Howard'
- Tags:































- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Howard'
- 'Howard'
- 'Howard'
- Tags:
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-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Platanus
- Species:
- occidentalis
- Family:
- Platanaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Wood is hard and moderately strong, but decays rapidly in the ground. It is often used for chopping blocks, furniture, and chip board.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeastern United States
- Distribution:
- Southwestern Maine to Florida, west to Texas and Nebraska.
- Fire Risk Rating:
- medium flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- Birds, like the American goldfinch and Carolina chickadees, eat the seeds in the winter.
- Play Value:
- Edible fruit
- Textural
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- The American sycamore is moderately resistant to damage from deer.
- Edibility:
- Sap is sweet and tapped in the spring for use as syrup and sugar.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 75 ft. 0 in. - 110 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 75 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Horizontal
- Pyramidal
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasional Flooding
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is a showy fuzzy, long-stalked, spherical ball (to 1 3/8 inches diameter). They ripen to brown in the fall and persist into early winter. Each ball contains many seed-like fruits called achenes. As fall progresses the balls break down and the seeds fly out in downy tufts on the wind. Achene borne 3-6 inch stalk fruit with tiny winged .5 inch long seed maturing in November and disseminating in late winter.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- In April, insignificant, small monoecious flowers yellow (male), red (female), appear in clusters, typically one cluster to a stalk. Inflorescence is a pendulous, globose syncarp, solitary terminating on an elongated peduncle that is 3 to 6 inches long. Syncarps are hard when young, and crumb apart when they mature.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Cream/Tan
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves of the American Sycamore are very large, 4 to 8 lobed, alternate, simple, stipulate, broadly ovate, acute, truncate to cordate, coarsely acuminately toothed, medium to dark green leaves (4 to 10 inches wide and 4 to 7 inches long) with 3 to 5 lobes has coarse marginal teeth. The petiole flares out and covers over a leaf bud at the base. The leaves turn a tan to brown color in the fall. Leaves are floccose-tomentose when young, and become pubescent on veins at maturity. Stipules on young leaves persist into fall, are large, and are acuminately toothed.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Light Brown
- White
- Surface/Attachment:
- Exfoliating
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- Brown bark which exfoliates in irregular pieces to reveal creamy white inner bark resulting in a patchy pattern. Mature trees typically display mottled white bark that can be identified from great distances.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Smooth/Hairless
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Description:
- Buds are large, conical, acute, smooth, hidden, and surrounded by swollen petiole base until leaf drops.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Rain Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Moths
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Pollution
- Urban Conditions
- Wet Soil
- Wind