What kind of tree is this?

[Cheesecutter]

I've seen a few of these around and just curious what it is. It has normal looking bark on the trunk, but the upper limbs are white and almost look like the bark has been shed.

 

[Oldmaple]

Sycamore

 

[Cheesecutter]

Yup, sure enough. Thank you. I never would have thought of that. They aren't very common here, but they are unique when they have no leaves. I just saw these in a local state park.

 

[showrguy]

You don't want one of these for firewood............heavy as concrete when green, will put any splitter to the test, cause it's got crazy grain going everywhere..
It's the only wood I refuse to take for my OWB, if that tells ya anything...
Well, I lied,,,,,,,,,,, I won't take pressure treated either........

 

[KenJax Tree]

Breathing the saw dust will make you think you're dying. I wear a respirator and don't leave any skin exposed when we remove those.

 

[Cheesecutter]

My wife asked what kind of tree it was and I had no idea. I knew it wasn't aspen, poplar, or cottonwood, but I just couldn't place it.

 

[unclemoustache]

I hate sycamore. I will never burn it in my stove again. Leave SO MUCH ash you have to clean it out after every piece you put in. Not much heat.
Tree is annoying, too. HUGE leaves that don't mulch well, limbs falling off all the time, and those little puffballs are annoying too. Wood isn't good for much of anything either except to carvers.

 

[Cheesecutter]

I asked a buddy what it was. He didn't know, but his grandma had a huge one in her yard. He knew she didn't like it because it was "a dirty tree".

 

[Bruce 46]

Has a really odd peppery smell when you burn it, too.

 

[jrider]

I do love how big and grand the old ones look - pretty much the biggest trees you will find around here.

 

[Ash_403]

There are many around my area. Mostly grow by/near the creeks, rivers, and low areas among the cottonwoods, and soft maples. I steer clear of it as firewood also, unless its just some smaller branch wood that you only have to cut to length for firewood. There are a few big ones around here to. But, most are hollow at that point.

 

[Fred Wright]

Years ago when we'd spend all day at the swimming hole we'd gather up fallen sycamore limbs to break up for campfire fodder. The trees grew all along the riverbank.

Most of the sycamores that were planted along the old SR 113 during the 1930s are still there. They're tough trees and live a long time.

 

[Streblerm]

I've seen some big old sycamores in the city that have canopies that spread out 80' or more. I've never actually burned any. I was thinking about planting some in my yard. They are a nice looking tree.

 

[SteveSS]

They really do look nice in the winter time with all the white, and there are some monsters around here that I get to drive past a lot. I've never cut or burned one. Doesn't sound like it's worth the hassle.

 

[Alvin Flynt]

These trees are mostly a trash tree. Not good for much. Down here in GA they get covered with puss caterpillars which drop and sting. Huge leaves that leave a mess.

 

[firefighter938]

Woodworkers use sycamore. It is a nice looking wood. It is a pain to split, but I think it burns ok. I wouldn't seek it out but if I had one in my yard that needed to come down I would c/s/s it. It has a ton of water in it, but seasons fairly quickly. If you stack in a good spot it will season in a year, although I would prefer to give it two. I hand split a large tree we took down to build my parents house and it heated my house many times. Of course I was younger, stronger, and dumber. Next time I would borrow a hydraulic.

Every plant was put on God's green earth for a purpose.

 

[bert the turtle]

nice looking trees. I took one down from near the house because it dropped limbs too frequently. Splits like sweet gum.

 

[robespierre]

A local tree service dropped off a full truckload to me this summer and I split it all with the fiskars.As with any tree there were some knots and crotches that I put to the side but it split fine while green and wet.I ended up selling every piece to a customer who commented how nice looking the wood was.I only had it split for about 4 months and sitting in the hot sun. The customer ended up coming back to comment that the sycamore burned as quick as paper.I smiled at him and asked if he wanted to buy some oak.

 

[Joe Blackeby]

Howdy, around here you will see them @ both end of the older farmhouse. Science doesn't know why but it does not get struck by lightening. I'm just saying.

 

[Fred Wright]

They're good climbing trees, too. Where we grew up there was a huge old sycamore beside a field that had horizontal limbs almost like ladder rungs. Couple times I took a pocket camera along and climbed to the top. You could see for miles around. Got me some nice panoramic shots.