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Arboretum
"A man does not plant a tree for himself, he plants it for posterity." - Alexander Smith
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Sycamore
(Platanus occidentalis)
Donated by
Judith Joy
Tree Map Location: #
248
In Memory of Henry, a wonderful cat
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Leaf:
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Alternate, simple, palmately veined, 4 to 8 inches wide, ovate in shape, with three to five lobes, margins coarsely toothed, petiole bases encircle and enclose the buds, veins may be pubescent below.
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Flower:
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Monoecious; imperfect, both male and females are very small and appear in dense round clusters, typically a single cluster to a stalk, appearing with the leaves.
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Fruit:
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A spherical multiple of achenes borne on a 3 to 6 inch stalk. Each seed is tiny, winged, and 1/2 inch long; maturing in November, disseminating in late winter.
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Twig:
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Obviously zigzag, quite stout and orange-brown in color; leaf scar surrounds the bud and the stipule scar surrounds the twig; terminal bud is absent; lateral buds are reddish, resinous, with a single, cap-like scale.
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Bark:
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Thin, mottled brown, green, tan and white; older stems are gray-brown and scaly. The most striking feature of this tree, often referred to as "camouflage" bark that readily exfoliates.
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Form:
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A very massive tree with heavy, spreading branches with obviously zigzag twigs reaching up to and over 100 feet tall. In winter, the persistent fruits resemble Christmas tree ornaments.
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Source:
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College of Natural Resource Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
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To participate in the Kaskaskia College Arboretum please contact:
Office of Institutional Advancement
618-545-3069
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