Are Sycamores good trees?
4 min read
Asked by: Julie Singleton
Sycamore trees can add character to your landscape, with their ashy white bark and lush green foliage. They also house food and nesting sites for birds including red-tailed hawks, woodpeckers, and hummingbirds.
Are sycamore trees a problem?
Sycamore Tree Roots Can Cause Problems
The roots can grow to have a radius of 30 feet and about 2 feet under the soil. These shallow and fast-growing root systems can cause damage to buildings, underground pipes, septic systems, and pavement.
What is special about the sycamore tree?
The most striking feature of the tree is the bark that has a camouflage pattern comprised of gray-brown outer bark that peels off in patches to reveal the light gray or white wood beneath. Older trees often have solid, light gray trunks. Sycamores also go by the names buttonwood or buttonball trees.
What is the average lifespan of a sycamore tree?
600 years
Interesting Information About Plant: The sycamore tree is the largest deciduous trees in the Eastern United States. It grows to 30 meters tall and lives nearly 600 years.
Do sycamore trees have deep roots?
American Sycamore Roots
These types of roots extend down no more than 6 feet, but spread to all sides of the tree, extending well beyond the dripline. This is the case with the American sycamore tree. Most of its roots are within 6 feet of the soil surface, and the tree frequently forms large surface roots.
Is sycamore good for garden?
Sycamore trees can be planted in large gardens and look good as well as providing a useful wind-break. They are very tolerant of pollution and so work well in towns and cities.
Why do sycamore trees make you sick?
Atypical Myopathy is another name for this and obviously is related to grazing in the region of sycamore trees. The helicopter seeds and the leaves are poisonous, containing the poison Hypoglycin A (HGA) which causes muscle damage.
Are sycamore trees good for wildlife?
Value to wildlife
Sycamore is attractive to aphids and therefore a variety of their predators, such as ladybirds, hoverflies and birds. The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of a number of moths, including the sycamore moth, plumed prominent and maple prominent.
Are sycamore trees rare?
Sycamore trees are common throughout North America. The American sycamore tree (Platanus occidentalis) grows mainly in the eastern and central parts of United States. The Californian sycamore tree (Platanus racemosa) and Mexican sycamore tree (Platanus mexicana) are more common in the western parts of United States.
Why do sycamore trees make you cough?
If you’re sensitized to maple sycamore trees and have asthma, tree pollen may trigger or worsen asthma symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing.
How close can a sycamore tree be to a house?
There is of course another danger of large trees near to your property which is from impact damage to your property (or persons in the property or garden) following a violent storm.
| Species | Normal Mature Height (M) | Safe Distance (M) |
|---|---|---|
| Poplar | 28 | 35 |
| Sycamore | 24 | 17 |
| Spruce | 18 | 7 |
| Walnut | 18 | 14 |
How fast do sycamores grow?
2 feet per year
Growth Rate: It grows at a moderate to rapid rate (2 feet per year) and is long-lived. Ornamental Features: It is highly valued for its form and size, with its massive height and spread, huge trunk and large limbs.
How often should a sycamore tree be trimmed?
every three to five years
Low branches should also be removed, if desired, when the tree is young. This is best done by removing one or two branches a year, over a period of a few years, until the needed clearance is obtained. As the tree gets older, pruning every three to five years will keep the tree in good shape.
What kills sycamore?
The most dangerous of the diseases of sycamore trees is anthracnose, also called leaf and twig blight. It can kill American sycamore, although it does only minor damage to other varieties. This disease can kill twig tips, expanding to buds, new shoots, and leaves.
Can you cut the top off a sycamore tree?
It isn’t absolutely necessary to prune your sycamore, but there are some good reasons to do it. Pruning can help you shape the tree to look a certain way. As a city street tree, a heavy type of pruning called pollarding is used to keep sycamore trees smaller and with a dense canopy.
