What is a Sycamore to you?

[ptar]

What is a Sycamore to you? Around here, San Francisco
bay area, 'Sycamore' and 'Plane Tree' seem to be used
interchangeably.

Platanus occidentalis - Sycamore, American Plane Tree
Platanus racemosa - California Sycamore
Platanus acerifolia 'Yarwood' - Yarwood Sycamore
etc.

In England, from what I can tell, a Sycamore is an
Acer pseudoplatanus. That would be called here a Sycamore Maple
or Planetree Maple.

I suspect that when TimberMcPherson in NZ talks about a
Sycamore, he is refering to a tree from the genus Acer...

 

[jkrueger]

The American, native, sycamore has one seed pod per. And the London Plane has 2. Some of the oriental versions have up to 5.

This is a good way, in general, to tell what is what.

Jack

 

[Gord]

Around here people often refer to London Planes as Sycamores...but the only thing that I would call a sycamore around here is the occasional Acer pseudoplatanus

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by jkrueger
The American, native, sycamore has one seed pod per. And the London Plane has 2. Some of the oriental versions have up to 5.

This is a good way, in general, to tell what is what.

Jack

But not allways....

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Yeah its part of the genus Acer, I was dropping a few today, buggered if I know exactly which one. They are weeds around here either way

 

[TREETX]

In Germany, Platanae

 

[underwor]

For central US it is Platanus occidentalis, American Sycamore.

Here are some good pictures.

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu/images/402/Reference_Images/Plantanus_occidentalis/

Bob

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

acer pseudoplatnus in GREAT BRITAIN

 

[jamie]

latin

hence that guy Carl Lineus created a very useful thing...

anyway sycamore is an Acer

jamie

 

[ptar]

No respect

Interesting...
So in GB, NZ and BC a sycamore is an Acer.
That's why get no respect!

 

[jamie]

no respect?

no respect im confused....

jamie

 

[ptar]

> no respect im confused....
>
> jamie

I meant that people from the UK and NZ don't
seem to like sycamores, TimberMcPherson
called them 'weed' -- they are not regarded as
worthy of special consideration -- 'they don't get no respect!'

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Acer and Platanus are 2 distinct genera. I don't know about common names in GB or NZ. Gentlemen, check your treee keys!
Are they dissed because their proper names are missed?

Nice reference, Underwood; good to see my alma mater is doing useful things.
Platanus occidentalis here; just moved 20 from a customer's yard where they were weeds to the edge of 2 ponds where they will be dynamite assets.

 

[ptar]

> Acer and Platanus are 2 distinct genera. I don't know about common names in GB or NZ. Gentlemen, check your treee keys!
> Are they dissed because their proper names are missed?

Guy, that's the point.
I want to know where in the world an
Acer pseudoplatanus is called a sycamore.

 

[Sylvatica]

"I want to know where in the world an
Acer pseudoplatanus is called a sycamore."

This is where common names can raise as many questions as answers.

In my area,

Acer pseudoplatanus is the Sycamore Maple

Platanus occidentalis is the Sycamore (native)

Platanus x acerifolia is the London Planetree

 

[Sylvatica]

...and 2 different families, BTW, Acer and Platanus.

Aceraceae and Platanaceae.

 

[Reed]

What do they mean?

Here they are proximty to yearly water or you'd have to provide. They also snap half-way thru the cut up above, and are slippery to foot holds. Stack nice, chip well, aromatic while turning to dust. Close to the only local maple that survives here comes Fall - colorwise, and I like the leaves.

Sorry guys, other than occassional propagation close-by, they are pretty much man-planted and that usually means man wanting them gone before too long 'cause they build something in the way. That's what they mean to me, aside from being beautiful trees, as any are.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Here we only have sycamore anthracnose hosts.

"it's ugly, cut it down!"

 

[jamie]

Sycamore + Plane

over here Sycamore is Acer psuedoplanatus and London Plane is Planatus x hispanica (according to A. Mitchell in Trees of Britain and Northern Europe).

I dont like sycamore because they are non natives......uni coming through again though.

but we felled a huge 275 year old sycamore as part of a site clearance which was a very nice specimen....was dropping some massive limbs though. Shame it had to go.

my interpretation of sycamore means 'false plane maple' anyone agree?


i feel that somewhere like here (AS) using binomial names would be advantageous as cottonwoods are called lime (Tilia sp), correct?

jamie

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Cottonwood is Populus deltoides

P. fremonti and balsmifera (sp??)are called cottonwood too.

Over here Tillia sp. is called linden.

i feel that somewhere like here (AS) using binomial names would be advantageous as cottonwoods are called lime (Tilia sp), correct?