Sycamore: Summer’s dappled shade, winter’s white silhouette

Sycamore trees are characterized by mottled pale bark that peels off in flakes, creating a unique mosaic-like pattern of gray, beige and green shades. The majestic trees are one of the largest eastern hardwoods, reaching heights up to 120 feet, with massive trunks and broad overarching crowns.

Also known as buttonwood and planetree, sycamores prefer wet soils along riverbanks and flood plains, as well as the edges of swamps, ponds and lakes. The fruit of the sycamore matures in autumn. Look for one-inch brown balls dangling from long stalks.

Sycamore wood is light in color and commonly used for butcher blocks, furniture parts, crates, flooring and particleboard. The tree was used medicinally by Native Americans to treat colds and respiratory ailments. Several bird species, as well as fox squirrels, eat the seeds, and trunk cavities are used for shelter.

The large leaves appear late in spring and drop early, providing optimum shade during the hottest summer months while permitting the penetration of sunlight through most of spring and fall. Branches of the sycamore bear a chalky white appearance, which causes them to stand out against trees with darker bark. This effect is especially dramatic during winter when deciduous trees have lost their foliage.