Platanus occidentalis
Owner: Francis Saul
Nominator: Dave Reid
Height: 30.80 m (101ft)
Diameter: 105.19 cm (41.4 in)
Circumference: 330.3 cm (130 in)
Description
The American Sycamore is a fast growing, long-lived tree and is one of the largest broadleaf trees in eastern North America, with scattered individuals found growing in southern Ontario. It is tolerant of wet soils that are slow to drain and is often found growing along the edge of streams and in floodplains. It is vauled for its timber and is often planted as a shade tree in urban settings. Sycamore trees can be distinguished by their characteristic smooth bark that flakes off into irregular shaped pieces, exposing the cream-coloured inner bark, producing a mottled effect. The fruit is a ball composed of many closely packed, long, narrow fruits that ripen by September or October and often remain on the tree throughout the winter.
Wells, O.O., Schmidtling, R.C. (1990, December). Silvics of North America, Volume 2: Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Retrieved date (2011, Mar. 21st) from http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm
American Sycamore Leaf (R. Merrilees)