Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) is a tree native to Europe and Asia. Sycamore is tolerant of wind and coastal exposure. This species is known as the sycamore maple in the United States. Sycamore wood is commercially used to make musical instruments, furniture, joinery, wood flooring and kitchen utensils.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Acer pseudoplatanus, known as the sycamore in the British Isles and as the sycamore maple in the United States, is a species of maple native to Central Europe and Western Asia. It is a large deciduous, broad-leaved tree, tolerant of wind and coastal exposure.
Although native to an area ranging from France eastward to Ukraine, northern Turkey and the Caucasus, and southward to the mountains of Italy and northern Iberia, the sycamore establishes itself easily from seed and was introduced to the British Isles by 1500. It is now naturalised there and in other parts of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, where it may become an invasive species.
The sycamore is a large, broad-leaved deciduous tree that reaches 20–35 m (66–115 ft) tall at maturity, the branches forming a broad, domed crown. The bark of young trees is smooth and grey but becomes rougher with age and breaks up into scales, exposing the pale-brown-to-pinkish inner bark.
The buds are produced in opposite pairs, ovoid (approximately oval in shape) and pointed, with the bud scales (the modified leaves that enclose and protect the bud) green, edged in dark brown and with dark brown tips, 0.5–1 centimetre (1⁄4–3⁄8 in). When the leaves are shed they leave horseshoe-shaped marks called leaf scars on the stem. The leaves are opposite, large, 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in) long and broad, palmate with 5 pointed lobes that are coarsely toothed or serrated. They have a leathery texture with thick veins protruding on the underside. They are dark green in colour with a paler underside.
Some cultivars have purple-tinged or yellowish leaves. The leaf stalk or petiole is 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in) long, is often tinged red with no stipules or leaf-like structures at the base.
The functionally monoecious (bisexual) or dioecious yellow-green flowers are produced after the leaves in early summer, in May or June in the British Isles, on pendulous panicles 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) long with about 60–100 flowers on each stalk. The fruits are paired winged seeds or samaras, the seeds 5 to 10 mm (1⁄4 to 3⁄8 in) in diameter, each with a wing 20 to 40 mm (3⁄4 to 1+5⁄8 in) long developed as an extension of the ovary wall.
The wings are held at about right angles to each other, distinguishing them from those of A. platanoides and A. campestre, in which the wings are almost opposite, and from those of A. saccharum, in which they are almost parallel. When shed, the wing of the samara catches the wind and rotates the fruit as it falls, slowing its descent and enabling the wind to disperse it further from the parent tree. The seeds are mature in autumn about four months after pollination.
The sycamore is tetraploid (each cell having four sets of chromosomes, 2n=52), whereas A. campestre and A. platanoides are diploid (with 2 sets of chromosomes, 2n=26).
Horses eating seeds or emergent seedlings of A. pseudoplatanus can suffer from an often fatal condition of atypical myopathy.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
The sycamore has a certain requirement for sunlight and prefers a partially shaded area. In cases of exposure to direct sunlight in the summer, the leaves of most varieties will wither, so shading is required. As the plants get older and their root system grows, this condition will be less of a problem. A few varieties will tolerate exposure to direct sunlight, such as ‘Beni Maiko’ and ‘De Shojo’. Some weeping varieties can also tolerate exposure to direct sunlight, such as ‘Ao Shidare’.
Sunlight conditions will directly affect the ornamental appearance of sycamore leaves. In the spring, sufficient sunlight will make the maple leaves more vivid, while in cases of insufficient sunlight or partial shading the leaf color may fade. During the fall, sunlight can also affect the leaf color. For potted plants, full exposure to sunlight is recommended during the spring and the fall, with partial shading in the summer.
Temperature
The sycamore has good cold resistance and is able to tolerate low temperatures. The sycamore is native to the margins of forests in China, Japan, and North Korea, so these trees generally prefer a humid environment. Most sycamore plants have shallow root systems, so they should be watered frequently during the summer. For some varieties, a sprayed mist should be provided during the summer to increase the humidity of the air around them.
Watering
The sycamore prefers the soil to be kept moist, especially during the summer, because dry weather can cause its leaves to scorch and even fall off in severe cases. During the summer, in addition to watering the roots, foliage can be sprayed during the evening to increase the humidity.
- In the summer, seedlings growing in pots may need watering twice a day, in the morning and the evening.
- In the spring and fall, watering should be carried out depending on the actual conditions. Watering can be reduced slightly as the temperature drops in the fall, which will help the leaves to change color.
- In the winter, it is only necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out.
Attention should be paid to the watering of seedlings grown in gardens during the early stages. At later stages, water should be supplied according to the weather, that is if there is no rain for more than two weeks in the summer.
Soil
The sycamore does not have many specific requirements for soil. It is a forest native, so it prefers well-drained soil that is rich in humus and slightly acidic. Its main root will extend deep into the soil, but its tiny fibrous roots will be concentrated near the soil surface, so accumulated water in the soil tends to cause root rot.
Fertilizing
Potted seedlings should be given slow-release fertilizer only. For seedlings grown in gardens, fertilizer should be applied three times a year: once in the early spring, once in early summer for the growth period, and once in the fall.
Planting Instructions
The best time for planting or transplanting a sycamore is following defoliation in the fall. At this time, the leaves will have fallen off so there is little transpiration and water loss can be avoided. In addition, the root system will still be growing at this time, preparing for regrowth the following spring. Transplanting should be avoided on the coldest days because cold wind can kill some of the shoots and branches. During the winter, in areas that cannot be sheltered from the wind, it is recommended to cover the branches.
Pruning
Pruning is mainly used to enhance internal ventilation, improve shoot formation, promote growth, and for shaping. The common approach to pruning is to remove any old or weak branches, remove any branches that disrupt the shape of the tree, and remove any branches that cross other branches. Pruning is used to control the plant according to the required height and shape. Generally, this follows the “Y-type” pruning method.
It is possible to prune a sycamore throughout the year, but the coldest winter months should be avoided to prevent damage to the plant. Major pruning to shape a maple can be performed following defoliation in the fall, or prior to leaf growth in the spring. It is recommended to prune in the fall because withered and full buds can be easily distinguished.
According to the shaping plan, you can prune any withered buds and keep the full ones, thus making your tree healthier. For pruning in the summer, diseased, weak, or dead branches can be removed, mainly to enhance the tree’s ventilation.
If grown as a potted plant, the roots can easily occupy the entire flowerpot due to the limited space. This can make a sycamore prone to aging if an old flowerpot is not changed. It is recommended that old roots are pruned during the dormancy period, that is, cut off any old, coarse, diseased, and weak roots.
Propagation
Common propagation methods include grafting, taking cuttings, and sowing seeds.
Grafting is the most common propagation method. Seedlings of Acer palmatum or Acer oliverianum are usually selected for the rootstock. Grafted seedlings have strong roots and grow rapidly, but poor affinity is occasionally present in some cases. Seedlings with Acer oliverianum as the rootstock are less hardy.
Cuttings take longer to grow and are mostly used in the production of bonsai.
Sowing seeds is a common way to cultivate new varieties. The hybrid offspring of two different maples are sown and valuable individuals are then selected from the seedlings. The traits of the parents may not be maintained in the selected offspring.
Transplanting
The sycamore thrives best when transplanted during the pleasant period between spring and early summer, this is the prime transplanting phase. This plant enjoys bright spots, but not direct sunlight. Remember to keep the soil constantly moist and well-drained. When transplanting, place the sycamore at the same depth as it was in the previous location to ensure a healthier transition.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Sycamore is an ornamental tree, often utilized in hedgerows as a sturdy windbreak and shade tree. When used as a shelterbelt or barrier, it protects other vegetation and prevents soil erosion, benefiting its environment. This is a practical street tree and useful in landscape designs.
- Other uses
It produces a hard-wearing, white or cream close-grained timber that turns golden with age. The wood can be worked and sawn in any direction and is used for making musical instruments, furniture, joinery, wood flooring and parquetry. Because it is non-staining, is used for kitchen utensils, wooden spoons, bowls, rolling pins and chopping boards. In Scotland it has traditionally been used for making fine boxes, sometimes in association with contrasting, dark-coloured laburnum wood.
Occasionally, trees produce wood with a wavy grain, greatly increasing the value for decorative veneers. The wood is a medium weight for a hardwood, weighing 630 kg per cubic metre. It is a traditional wood for use in making the backs, necks and scrolls of violins. The wood is often marketed as rippled sycamore.
Whistles can be made from straight twigs when the rising sap allows the bark to be separated, and these, and sycamore branches, are used in customs associated with early May in Cornwall. The wood is used for fuel, being easy to saw and to split with an axe, producing a hot flame and good embers when burnt.
In Scotland, sycamores were once a favoured tree for hangings, because their lower branches rarely broke under the strain. Both male and female flowers produce abundant nectar, which makes a fragrant, delicately flavoured and pale-coloured honey. The nectar and copious dull yellow ochre pollen are collected by honeybees as food sources. The sap rises vigorously in the spring and like that of sugar maple can be tapped to provide a refreshing drink, as a source of sugar and to make syrup or beer.
Find Where to Buy the Best Sycamore Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)
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