Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple

General Information Common Name  Sycamore Maple Scientific Name  Acer pseudoplatanus Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  18 - 20 m (60 – 70 ft) Spread  10 – 15 m(30 - 45 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green Flower Color  Green Type  Tree Native  Europ, North-West Asia, Northern USA

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision  Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Sapindales Family  Aceraceae – Maple family Genus  Acer L. – Maple Species  A. pseudoplatanus

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple

Sycamore Maple, scientific name is Acer pseudoplatanus, is an attractive tall tree with masses of mat green foliage and pleasant summer fruits, was brought from France during the Middle Ages. It seeds profusely.

The young green, paired twigs turn light brown during the first year. The opposite winter buds are green and have a leaf-scar below. The leaves often have a red or orange tint on opening, and have five broad, coarsely-toothed loves, and are up to 8 inches broad, blunt-pointed, with long red-dish stalks which contain watery sap. They are deep green on the upper surface and pale bluish-green underneath – which underside is conspicuous when the foliage billows in the wind. Often the leaves are disfigured by ‘tar spots’ (caused by the fungus Rhytisma acerium). In autumn the leaves turn a drab color, but occasionally yellow. 

The bi-sexual greenish-yellow flowers, which open late in May, are in pendent panicles of fifty or more, with the youngest towards the tip. The fruits hang in bunches comprised of the well-known winged double ‘samara’ (or ‘keys’) set at an angle of about 900, and green at first, then handsomely tinged with crimson, becoming brown before the air currents spin them far a field.

On young trees the bark is very pale grey and smooth but later breaks into irregular fawn-brown scales which flake off. The odorless wood is of a clean appearance, creamy to yellowish-white, moderately heavy and fairly hard. Its uses include furniture, textile rollers and turned kitchen utensils such as bowls, spoons and platters. It the wood has a rippled grain, it commands a very high price for veneers. When cut in January to early spring, the tree profusely ‘bleeds’ its watery sap.

Silviculturists find Sycamore an excellent shelterbelt tree. It grows freely from self-sown seed and is an important timber tree, though much spoiled by grey squirrels, which peel the bark in order to obtain the sweet sap. 

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple : Fruits

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple : Flowers & Fruits

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple : Flowers

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple : Flowers

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple : Flowers

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore Maple