Plant Family: Platanaceae
Growth Form: Very large tree with a thick trunk and an open, spreading crown, to over 35 meters high, the most massive deciduous hardwood in North America.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, large, often wider than long, with 3 to 5 pointed lobes, somewhat hairy beneath.
Bark: Thin, brown, flaking off in patches to expose the yellowish under-bark, giving the trunk and major branches a distinctly mottled appearance.
Flowers: Individually small, held in spherical clusters, April to June.
Fruits: Greenish-brown, spherical seed heads, 2 – 4 cm in diameter, on very long stems; they tend to stay on the tree into winter.
Habitat: Rich soil of river valleys, tolerates flooding; also planted in parks and as a street tree.
Range: Uncommon in northern New England, more common in southern New England, ranging west to Iowa and south to the Gulf Coast.
Similar Species: London Planetree (P. acerifolia), commonly planted as a street tree, is a hybrid of Sycamore and Oriental Planetree (P. orientalis); it has maple-like leaves that are more deeply lobed and 2 to 4 seed heads on each stem; it does not commonly naturalize.
Comments: Older trees often develop hollow trunks, which are used by various cavity-nesting birds (owls, wood ducks) and mammals (raccoon, opossum, bear).
