Sycamore

Short Description

The sycamore is deciduous and can grow up to 35 m tall.

The leaves grow oppositely on the branch. They are palmately lobed with deep indentations and have a long stalk. The upper side is dark green. The underside is greyish-green and sparsely haired. The leaf margins are irregularly coarsely serrated.

The trunk is generally short and erect. The bark is initially grey-brown and smooth. With age, it becomes reddish with flaking scales.

The flowers are yellow-green and grow in pendulous elongated panicles.

The fruit is a winged nut fruit. Two winged fruits form a schizocarp fruit. The wings are arranged at a sharp angle to each other.

In the city

The species was often planted in the city in the past and is now very common. Many maple species produce numerous fruits, so that the trees can often spread by themselves within the city. Because of its large leaves, the sycamore provides relatively good noise protection along roads. Its potential for improving urban air quality by binding particulate matter is also discussed.