North Carolina Wildflowers, Vines, Shrubs, and Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Platanaceae > Platanus (sycamore, plane-tree)

American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis) American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis)
Disturbed roadside in Orange Co., NC
1 June 2009

Distinct large, broad leaves are palmatelylobed and coursely toothed.

American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis) American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis)
Disturbed roadside in Orange Co., NC
1 June 2009

Large, toothed stipules surround the stem at the base of each petiole.

American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis) American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis)
Disturbed roadside in Orange Co., NC
1 June 2009

American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis) American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis)
Scotland Co., NC
18 Feb 2007

In winter, last season's fruits are easily seen.

American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis) American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis)
Disturbed roadside in Orange Co., NC
1 June 2009

Young bark

American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis) American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis)
Streamside in Durham Co., NC
15 June 2009

Older bark becomes a mosaic of gray, green, and offwhite patches in a "camo" pattern.

American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis) American Sycamore, Plane-tree (Platanus occidentalis var. occidentalis)
Streamside in Durham Co., NC
15 June 2009

Old bark near the base of larger trees is brown and peels off up higher to reveal the "camo" pattern.


Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Common names from personal experience and supplemented by the following resources USDA plants website, Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... June 17, 2009 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com