The trees referred to as
Sycamore in the
US and
Europe are generally those in the genus
Platanus. These trees are tall, graceful hardwoods charactarized by large, maple-like leaves covered in pubescence (fuzz). The trees often let off a faint sweet smell when it's wet or hot. Sycamores look similar to maples but can be distinguished by the fuzzy leaves which turn brown instead of yellow or red in the fall and which are connected to the stem in an
alternate pattern instead of
opposite each other. Sycamores also have soft fuzzy
balls of seed, as opposed to the winged
samuras of
maples or the spiky '
mace'
balls of
sweet gum. Sycamores are found throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. The most commonly planted as a landscape tree is
Platanus X acerifolia, which is a cross between the
european and
asian varieties. Another sycamore, found in
California, is
Platanus racemosa, the
California sycamore. This tree is charactarized by graceful,
sinuous branches and large leaves, and grows in
riparian areas. The sycamore referred to in the
Bible is actually the Sycamore
Fig,
Ficus sycomorus.
Sycamores make good landscape trees but you should keep a few things in mind. If you want vivid fall color, you should plant a maple or sweet gum instead. The leaves of a sycamore generally turn brown and drop off.. they do not turn vivid colors although in their own way they are quite scenic scattered over the ground. Also a few people are allergic to the little hairs on the leaves; if you are prone to allergies you might want to get tested for this before you plant one nearby. And they are large trees, so dont plant them in tiny, confined spaces. Sycamore, along with Eucalyptus, is one of the most widely planted trees in Orange County, CA