FNPS Plant Database

Platanus occidentalis

sycamore, American planetree
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

sycamore, American planetree

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Platanus occidentalis

Family:

Platanaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

70–150 ft tall by and up–100 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms spring (inconspicuous). Fruits ripen late summer. Bark is very white late fall through winter. Life span - 75+ years

Noted For:

Showy Fruits, Hurricane Wind Resistance, Fall Color, Interesting Bark

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Frequently used as a yard tree or as a shade tree in parks. Best used where its large size won't overwhelm the surroundings.

Considerations:

Availability:

Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries

Propagation:

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Some tolerance to salty wind but not direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

Adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Native Habitats:

Stream banks, in floodplains and bottomlands

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

It's paint-chip white and brown-green bark provides winter interest. The natural range is from north Florida into southern Canada. This species has been planted well south of its range and is occasionally collected from places (such as the median of I-75, near old homesites, and near mine reclaimation areas) where it likely got there due to man's activities. It has also been widely planted in mined areas.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Burns, Russell M, and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2026.


Gilman, Edward F, Dennis G. Watson, Ryan W. Klein, Andrew K. Koeser, Deborah R. Hilbert, and Drew C. McLean. (2019). Platanus occidentalis. Fact Sheet ENH643/ST484. ( https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST484 ). Accessed 2026. Department of Environmental Horticulture, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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