What causes this

[Treecutr]

Can anyone tell me what causes this bleeched look on these trees. Or what kind of tree it is? I've only seen this in one area near where I work my regular job. When I see them it's isolated and somewhat close together, within a mile of each other, then none around. Sporadic I guess you could say. Also the farther out on the branches, and higher in the tree the less bark, and more bleeched it is. I'm not an arborist, just starting to get enrolled in some courses, and never came across these before. Not removing them just driving me nuts to know more about them.


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[outdoorlivin247]

That is the nature of the beast...They are Sycamore trees...

 

[Treecutr]

Thank You! I have been looking around on the internet. Stumped. This doesn't harm it at all.

 

[tree md]

No damage whatsoever, that is what Sycamores naturally look like.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

Sycamores are neat trees. Bark looks like camoflage. They can get HUGE! They usually grow in wet areas. Crappy firewod though.... Mike

 

[logging22]

Sycamores are neat trees. Bark looks like camoflage. They can get HUGE! They usually grow in wet areas. Crappy firewod though.... Mike

Get fairly large around the bottoms here. Crap for firewood, but the tie company dont mind a few in the tie pile.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

I think it makes great firewood if you have a splitter...

 

[logging22]

I think it makes great firewood if you have a splitter...

Dries like paper. Not much heat in that is there?

 

[ozarktreeman]

good furnace wood in my parts.and some of the locals like to make drums out of it.Ya know for arts and crafts.

 

[Treecutr]

Sycamores are neat trees. Bark looks like camoflage. They can get HUGE! They usually grow in wet areas. Crappy firewod though.... Mike

I was wondering about this, because it's very comparable to Silver Maple, but slightly better than pine. I've heard both sides, I have just never had any encounters with it so far. And as stated in one of the above posts, It's all in wet area, along streams, at least thats what I've noticed so far. Now I hope to get to remove one.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

It cuts like butter, but some people are allergic to the dust and chips. Heavy wet wood. Good luck..... Mike

 

[treeman75]

The sap in them smells like ass too!

 

[buzz sawyer]

The sap in them smells like ass too!

Don't tell us how you know that.

I've heard green sycamore won't float. It is nice for woodworking - cuts similar to cherry. Quartersawn surface has a lot of small rays. It used to be used as a decorative wood in some Victorian home interiors.

 

[ScoutmasterRick]

I've cleared quite a bit of Sycamore from a wetland area on my property over the past couple of years. I've burned some as firewood. For firewood it's about like Red Maple in BTU's/cord.

Some other observations:

• It stinks when its wet. It smells like an old wet barnyard to me.
• Splitting is a pain. It's not as bad as Elm or a lot of the gum family, but it's still a pain.
• When it's green it's some of the wettest wood I've seen, and it's very heavy when wet. When all that water dries out it's extremely light.
• When it's dry it burns fast and hot. It makes good kindling (if you have the patience to split it that small), or good medium sized fire starter pieces.

 

[highpointtree]

It is northern plains sycamore. it has been infected by the bleach bark beetle. the wood is seriously contaminated and must be disposed of in a very careful way and be quarantined as to not affect any other tree's.

I can handle the job of removing them and white glove dispoasal for about $9,500.00 per tree. I will throw in stump remediation for $2,000.00 each. the longer you wait the more tree's can be affected. hurry don't delay, call today.

 

[rarefish383]

:agree2: LOL

I love them down by the creek. Can't stand them in a yard or to work on them. They constantly drop dead wood, the bottom of the leaves have a thick fuz on them that makes my eyes swell allmost shut. If you park your car under one it will look like it has been flocked with velvet. The wood does have a very high water content and will sink in fresh water. I put an old bull line in one over the creek for a swing. All of the limbs I dropped into the creek sunk,and we had to dive in and pull them out before we could swim,Joe.

 

[tree md]

I was discussing Tulip Poplars with a friend yesterday and Sycamores came up in our conversation. I had thought that the Tulip Tree/Tulip Poplar was the tallest Eastern tree and the Sycamore was the largest Eastern tree with the largest diameter. I pulled out my Peterson Field Guide to make sure I wasn't telling lies and found some interesting remarks on the Sycamore.

I thought you might be interested to know this Treecutr:

Tuliptree is the tallest Eastern tree but the Sycamore is the most massive Eastern tree. Unlike Sequoias and Redwoods in the West the Sycamore is old at 500-600 years. They generally grow between 50'-100' but have been known to reach 175'. Diameter on mature trees is between 3' and 8' but they have been known to reach a diameter of 14'. Native Americans used the trunks to make dugouts, one of which was reportedly 65' long weighing 9000 pounds.

 

[ropensaddle]

It cuts like butter, but some people are allergic to the dust and chips. Heavy wet wood. Good luck..... Mike

Not just some all persons who work with sycamore or london plane very similar will get choked up from its dust. I am not allergic to almost anything and every person I have ever seen chipping or cutting it will sneeze and cough it is terrible that way. I would not have one close to my house but if it was 100 yards or so heck yeah they are pretty trees and strong somewhat weather resistant. I have burned it, it does better green but green or dry will pop sparklers much like osage in that aspect.

 

[tree md]

Not just some all persons who work with sycamore or london plane very similar will get choked up from its dust. I am not allergic to almost anything and every person I have ever seen chipping or cutting it will sneeze and cough it is terrible that way. I would not have one close to my house but if it was 100 yards or so heck yeah they are pretty trees and strong somewhat weather resistant. I have burned it, it does better green but green or dry will pop sparklers much like osage in that aspect.

Yeah rope, the London Plane are old world Sycamores. They have twice as many of the little #### balls on them. You can tell them apart by the yellow underbark.

 

[highpointtree]

Yeah rope, the London Plane are old world Sycamores. They have twice as many of the little #### balls on them. You can tell them apart by the yellow underbark.

also begins its spread a lot lower in the canopy. the sycamore grows a taller singular trunk (I'm sure there's always an exception) I enjoyed learning the differences on a campus walk at rutgers last sunday. I am taking a prep course for the LTE which I hope to obtain this year