Tree of the Week

What you should know before planting a sycamore

By Sheereen Othman | July 7, 2015

Choosing the Right Tree in the Right Place can be a daunting task. Should I plant a fruit tree or flowering? Will it be fast growing or slow? Will it even grow in my zone?

There are numerous factors to consider with each tree. Here are a few more things to note if you’re flirting with the idea of adding a sycamore tree to the family.

9 Reasons to Plant a Tree

  • There are 10 species of sycamore, most of them sharing similar characteristics.
  • Sycamore trees are majestic in nature, averaging 40-100 feet in height and spreading 40-70 feet in width.
  • They are fast growing, growing more than two feet a year.
  • With its natural inclination to establish a sturdy trunk, it tends to have an aggressive root system, so be prepared to plant your sycamore at least 15 feet from your house or sidewalk. Planting it too close to surrounding structures not only threatens the tree’s health, but you also risk spending a bunch of money repairing any damage it may do to your home’s water lines, foundation, or driveway.
  • Some sycamores develop multiple trunks.
  • These trees are nicknamed “buttonball” trees because of the 1-inch balls that hang from the tree. These dry, hairy fruits hang in groups of 2-7 and encase small seeds. Their fruits will also drop in the fall.
  • Sycamores are among the oldest species of trees on Earth, known for their longevity and hardiness.

4 Fast-growing Nut Trees

Sycamore trees can add character to your landscape, with their ashy white bark and lush green foliage. They also house food and nesting sites for birds including red-tailed hawks, woodpeckers, and hummingbirds.

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  • Chanda August 28, 2018 at 3:52 am

    What are the benefits of not planting it in an eclosed area

    • Don August 4, 2020 at 9:46 pm

      Sycamores grow very large, and drop a lot of leaves and seed pods. In an open area (parks for instance) most the tree debris will blow away. In an enclosed area, the debris will probably have to be raked, picked up, and hauled away.

  • Jason May 19, 2019 at 6:19 am

    I have three sycamores in my 7000ft^2 property and they are a mess for three seasons. Buttonballs in the spring, the leaves in autumn *groan* and all the bark they shed in the winter. I curse the previous owner who planted them but now I could bear not having the shade. Just with they planted something else.

    • Sheereen Othman May 21, 2019 at 4:49 pm

      They require quite the maintenance and can be a nuisance if you’re not aware up front.

  • Kevin June 26, 2019 at 6:29 pm

    These trees are nice for shade but that’s about it. There not worth the upkeep. They produce so many leaves that’s a real pain to clean up. The buttonballs are constantly dropping and drawing in all kinds of bugs etc. not to mention all the polon just one of those balls produce. The previous owner went A-Wall when it came to growing stuff. Literally all kinds of trees, bushes, flowers, all over the 10,000 sq ft property. Also with this sycamore tree it’s about 60 feet high, and everytime we get a little wind, or a storm, this tree drops ton of big limbs, and decent size branches. Not to mention the previous owner obviously didn’t do his research and planted this thing about 7 feet from the back yard patio. I now see cracking in the patio nearest to the tree. Dont have the $ to have this beast of a tree cut down, so guess I’ll have to deal with this pain for another couple years or so. Planters be ware

    • KENT CARLSON November 26, 2019 at 9:58 am

      I would recommend contacting a local woodworking shop. Quartersawn Sycamore has an incredible pattern! Wood workers and woodturners make sone incredible projects from this lumber.

      The local woodshop may know of a local sawmill that would pay you for the tree. This would put some money in your pocket instead of costing you dollars!

  • Toni Townsend August 13, 2019 at 12:47 pm

    I want to THANK all of you I was really thinking about planting one, I think you changed my train of thought. Thanks again.

  • Catherine Caudle August 17, 2019 at 10:47 am

    My neighbor planted 2 of these massive trees 5 feet off the property line. They are now huge trees and take over 30 feet of my property some 70 feet wide nearly all my front lawn and half my back lawn. They are encroaching on my roof. I talk to him about the cost of maintaining his trees on his property and he says go for it at your cost and by the way if it kills my tree or harms it I will sue you. So guess I can only hope the tree dies.

    • Nina April 22, 2020 at 1:02 pm

      Throw some kill all down in the middle of the night. It’ll die eventually.

  • Ellen August 27, 2019 at 11:41 pm

    Do the trunk of the tree ever split and fall sideways? My neighbor worries her house would be damaged if it happens.

    • Sheereen Othman August 28, 2019 at 3:37 pm

      splits can occur on the trunk and branches of a tree. If the tree is brittle and doesn’t look like it’s in good shape, we encourage her to have it examined by an arborist who could tell her whether it’s safe to keep.

  • Sean Brady August 29, 2019 at 5:41 pm

    Hi,
    We have two magnificent native specimens in seasonally flooded river banks. I want to proliferate this particular species here because it is a very natural and relatively unaltered habitat. The great old sycamores of this area have nearly all been wiped out by dams over time. This type of sycamore likes to get its “feet wet” so to speak. We have the ultimate environment for that in this micro ecosystem.

    • Mickey Glisson April 24, 2020 at 11:12 pm

      I love these trees. The bark is beautiful. I’m surrounded by pines so the pollen is no big deal. The button balls so far have not been a bother either. I have 2 and I’m currently seeking to purchase another for a low lying area of our yard.

      • Alicia June 30, 2020 at 7:57 am

        Same here Mickey! I love my messy Sycamore trees 😊 I want another one as well, I just don’t know where to buy it or how to care for it while young. Do you know?

        • Debby August 3, 2020 at 9:58 am

          Plant trees in a tree bed rather than singly. Walk through your local woods to see how closely they can grow. I have about 50 trees on less than 1/2 acre and never have to rake my lawn except when a strong wind blows leaves from the neighbor’s Norway maples. Even then I just rake them back onto the bed. Think of the trees as “self-mulching” rather than messy. I bought 10 sycamores (also 10 red oaks) from the neighboring county soil conservation service annual tree sale. I’m growing them on and offering them as gifts to my neighbors. I’m learning that people really do not like trees.

        • Nancie August 3, 2020 at 1:04 pm

          I am planning to do several air-layerings in the fall on a majestic sycamore that my friend and I call the “Holy Grail” a tree residing near Townsend, TN. It’s the best way to get a decent-size “cutting.” Do an online search for “air-layering techniques”. It does not harm the host tree in any way.

        • Don August 4, 2020 at 9:55 pm

          The seeds sprout pretty easily, if you have time to grow your own. I’ve had seedlings sprout in my yard from a neighbor’s tree two houses down. I transplanted them at our church. Some didn’t survive the winter, so I transplanted new ones in the spring. It took a few years, but I finally have a row of seven Sycamore trees. The oldest tree is less than five years old and is already about 20 feet tall.

        • Mike September 27, 2020 at 6:11 pm

          What part if the world are you? We’re in Texas and I just pulled a couple from a river that I’ll be trying to transplant. I fear they’ll need more water than I can provide.

  • Chee September 14, 2019 at 3:36 pm

    I was considering transplanting a couple little sycamore trees to my yard or maybe in a couple pots, but now maybe I will think about it more. I found them growing wild just 3 inches apart in a parking lot. They are so cute. I read somewhere that they can be given to newlyweds since as they grow, they can be merged to form an archway over a walkway. Sounded kinda neat and cute. You could harvest them if the leaves got to be a hassle to get a good amount of wood maybe. Their leaves are huge, but that could be used as mulch elsewhere with a good leaf mulcher/blower.

  • Lori Armour October 15, 2019 at 3:58 pm

    I love these huge monsters
    Along river banks or the waters edge or a ravine or anywhere they are beautiful.
    The leaves will blow away in the right spot, but acreage is nice for them
    Back home again in Indiana!

  • Michael November 11, 2019 at 4:09 pm

    I plan on planting 4 as a border for a 4 acre field. Is there a particular type that will get the biggest? I want massive!

  • Petr January 19, 2020 at 4:58 pm

    Is it ok to shave off or cut off any parts of the roots growing above ground without damaging the tree. So many little stumps growing above ground and difficult to mow these areas.

    • Sheereen Othman February 24, 2020 at 11:01 am

      Hi Petr, most experts will say it’s best not to cut exposed tree roots unless it is interfering with surrounding structures, like a sidewalk, pavement, house, etc.

      Our partner, Davey Tree has a great postgreat postgreat post about removing tree roots.

  • Omar Patel February 23, 2020 at 2:48 am

    I’m planning on using these trees in zone 9b in Los Angeles County to create some afforestation in a desert climate. Is the creation of a swale with mulch and organic matter enough to maintain the tree or does it require more precipitation?

    If the retention of water from a swale is enough to retain precipitation, what is the best size to plant the tree? Thank you!

  • Steve Labriola July 19, 2020 at 6:14 pm

    Wrong; buttonballs hold seed.

  • Pam October 2, 2020 at 11:51 am

    Be very careful planting a sycamore close to your house they have these little tiny bugs that will most look like fleas or ticks if your branches get too close to your house they can get through your vents and get
    into your house they are very hard to get rid of and they do bite we’re having testing done we’re almost positive that’s what gave my boyfriend valley fever