Man it is so funny seeing you hate on a tree for being so successful-it is fulfilling an ecological niche in your environment of being early successional. It just does what it was created to do! Down here in the piedmont (similar elevation, ~830 ft) we have the tulip poplar that does this exact thing. For me, though I would love to hate it (for the EXACT same reasons you showed) I don’t simply because I know it is doing what it is supposed to do. Plus, I know when I start using prescribed fire, we will lose the less desirable trees like tulip poplars and sweetgums and Beech trees and loblolly’s and turn back to the oak-hickory-shortleaf pine forest it is supposed to be.
Montezuma castle in Arizona has sycamore trees used as beams in the caves. They were built centuries ago and are still standing today. I would say yes. Definitely worth having.
Different climate and scenarios this is a old man on the east coast set in old ways in other words he was tought by older generations and thinks their way is best but in all reality the more tree cover the better as long as you have a nice healthy wooded srea
Hello, Thank you for this video on sycamore trees, I found it quite educational. However one thing I found out about sycamores prior to finding this video is that theres medicinal value to sycamore tree. Tea made from the inner bark helps with colds, coughs, tuberculosis, its even a blood purifier. So there is one item you can add to your pros list. Thanks again.
We have them here in Scotland. They're a PITA, but I do have a pile of rounds outside and have to figure out a way to split them for the stove. I've small and weak ... I pull hundreds, if not thousands of "seedlings" out of the soil every single year and despair of the ones growing over the fence in our neighbour's garden - far nearer our house than theirs. I think a "word" will have to be had regarding the sycamore and the conifers! Perhaps he can get his "man" to cut them back far harder than previously.
There's so many medicinal benefits trees etc have that are unknown to man as of yet. The Yew tree bark in the Pacific northwest is used to treat cancer
Don't pussyfoot around, tell us how you really feel about sycamore. lol I grew up on a farm and we used sycamore for firewood. As you mentioned it is hard to split with an axe but I did split a lot of it. That was over 50 years ago though. I thought it actually made decent (not as good as the white oak, red oak or hickory we had as well) but it was decent. Dad had a 10 acre woods and never cut a live tree out of it so the sycamore we burned were all mature.
Appreciate the tree before a disease or bug eliminates them like the ash tree. The tree has great value for wild life if you let it mature to a great size. Settlers used the hollow trunks as barns.
Im no fan of Sycamore eather but the seed balls can have a used. You can use KNF practices and grow out mycelium on them. You can use the mycelium balls in you're veg. Garden to improve soil and a treat for pastured pig's
i bet the sycamore puts a lot of water into the air and gives all the surroundings more water ie rain due to the big leaves, spots you find them and water content .
I'm a dendrologist, been one for 20+ years and get the question all the time when showed the leaf "What kind of maple is this?" It's actually not a maple, the American Sycamore that he is talking about is in the Plane family or PlatanaceaePlatanus Occidentalis. Maples are Aceraceae. All maples have opposite apposing leaves, American Sycamore has alternate. Also I'd you look how the leaf is attached to the tree it is distinctly different. Where the confusion comes in is the common name. The American Sycamore and the Sycmore, as referred to in the United Kingdom are two separate trees. The one in the UK is a type of maple (Acer Pseudoplatanus)
I read that at first as "I am a woodpecker" lol but yes I agree, I have made some cool stuff from the dropped branches of one. We had 4 mature giants, just took down one 3 days ago that had started to lean over the house and was about 80+ ft tall, the tree cutter who has been working in the Gainesville area for 35 years said it was the 2nd largest tree he he had ever felled. The trunk was like a baby sequoia and feeding off our drain field. So sad to see it go but every storm was hoping it wouldn't drop a branch and kill us. Turned out it was rotting from the top down, had no idea til it was felled. Trying to decide what to do now with the massive trunk.
I have no sycamore on my land and am grateful for it. It’s not a very useful tree. But it’s beauty is only surpassed by the live oak which most of us can’t grow so I will forgive you guys for your defense of this useless tree.
They make great poles for limb lines. Light weight push poles. Good for pole beans in the garden. I also use them as a retaining wall along the Kentucky river. We have a 25foot high bank very steep to the water. Every year our steps wash away. About 5 years ago i started a row of cuttings in a line diagonal about 20 degrees from water to top of bank.. The roots hold the bank. The 4" trunks hold 1x6s that hold the sand and after a few floods i now have a very nice slope that is easy to walk down. Every year i take a few cuttings to fill in dead or missing areas while fishing. Another year or 2 and some work ill have it wide enough to drive a 4wheeler down to pull out my jonboat. Im even thinking about planting them along our boundary to have permanent fence post.
The European Sycamore is in the Maple family, Acer pseudoplatanus, and is also known as Sycamore Maple. The American Sycamore is Platanus occidentalis and most large cities plant them along their streets because they're pollution tolerant and wind resistant.
I make canes and staffs. It's also a medicine tree. Sycamore is in the bible. Some african nations consider it the tree of life. Egyptian folklore talks of the sycamore. Viking culture. Historically speaking? George Washington described one of the largest in America during his era. Some people lived in the hollows of sycamore. My tree is named big Moe. Biggest tree I've ever seen. Robo
Sycamore Maple makes great syrup. It is sweeter than Black Maple. You sure got some purty land there. I hope to find some one day. However, I build rifles. Black powder ones. Sycamore Maple produces some of the pertiest stocks. Excellent grain, works well, fairly hard. Stains well. If you ever want to see, when you cut one down, wax the end. Let sit for several years. This keeps the grain from cracking through. All the minerals it takes in, Aqua Fortis stains it very well. It is not Rock Maple, but it acts like it. Good luck.
Nice video. You’re very personable. 👍🏻 Several of the horse farms I’m on in the central Kentucky area have their roads lined with sycamore trees. They are pretty! Good job!
RU-vid: "Searching for information regarding quantum processing, are we? Okay, then. But first, watch this guy talk about his love/hate relationship with a tree for 20 minutes." I literally watched the entire video. I'm a daredevil like that.
easiest way to identify a sycamore tree..from flat on your back. Try to climb it and if you don't slip down the bark you will fall from limbs breaking under you.
I’ve got a couple pros (from my perspective) for you: it grows well in the New Mexican desert. We are miles from the Rio Grand too. Also, it is a healthy tree, thank goodness. The cottonwoods and other trees around here are very susceptible to a fungal infection that slowly kills the tree, not the sycamores.
I live in south California and this tree seems to be drought tolerant. It also makes a great shade tree which always in need in overly So.Cal Great tree
How disappointing to see humans continually judge “value” of nature based on what it can provide for them personally & financially. Mushrooms, birds & countless wildlife depend on sycamore trees. They are not “satan’s spawn” because you can’t make money from them.
You are absolutely right! I dont think any tree is useless! They are so beautiful and serve so many purposes for several forms of life. I'm shocked that people dont respect trees, even tho they give us oxygen.
Well it kinda depends on your values. If you want a tree to provide you with something on your property, we’ll you probably want something that will provide you with the most uses for the amount of space it occupies. That being said, if you want a tree that wildlife can enjoy, then the sky is the limit when you consider your area. From my perspective, humans are a part of nature. As such, they will often use another part of nature for certain task(s). The bird who burrows into a tree is still using it for a specific purpose. Sure, they may not necessarily kill the tree, but other life forms(termites or creeper vines for instance) do. We are used by parasites and bacteria for purposes. Nature sustains itself.
If you think these trees are bad on the farm it's worse in town where you need to rack your yard you have 2,or 3 months of racking leaves and bark because the bark peals off late summer through fall once the tree is 5 years old
You had me slightly confused with your American Sycamore - not the same as our European Sycamore which has winged fruits as opposed to the seed balls. I believe the American Sycamore is what we would describe as a Plane tree.
I may be wrong but I’m my head it would be an awesome treehouse for the kids. If it doesn’t want to die. You build it between two trees it will last forever
In the rural (farm/ranch) environment, sycamores can be a definite headache. But in the urban setting, they can be very beneficial when planted in the right location. No disagreement with you FOR YOUR LOCATION. I have a sycamore on my front lawn, well away from the sidewalk, well away from the sewer line. It gives much needed shade during the heat of summer. Jon
@Railfan I have one in my backyard about 20 ft from the house. I bought the house 5Yrs ago and I am sick and tired of this tree due to seed balls, huge leaves to rake during fall and the fallen bark. Its about 4-5ft in diameter. I wonder what bad consequences i can face by cutting it off. I suddenly have the urge to cut it off, I wonder if you still have yours?
I have made so many things with Sycamore. Netting Shuttles, Whistles, chairs, tables, Mallets, utensils(food safe), Walking Staffs, Wood Carvings, Fire making sets, picture frames. The most readily available and versatile wood of all deciduous trees. It does require treatment from deterioration and bug rot, but overall my favorite wood to work with.
Mighty Sycamore is a wonderful and vigorous tree. It provides great shade in Southern California. Where trees are hard to grow and thrive this seems to excel. It’s also drought resistant. Squirrels and Beaver can eat the edible fruit of the Sycamore
We leave the sycamore trees on our creek bank to stablize the bank. It's also the only tree that I'm allergic to. Tree pollen or saw dust causes dry heaves and coughing. The oil and gas use the wood for temporary platforms.
How about building tool sheds, bird houses & dog houses. It would appear that this would work, what do you think Troy is there any restrictions in that direction ?
You forgot to mention how incredibly annoying the powdery stuff from the fallen bark gets in your nose and eyes if you have to mow or trim the ground around the tree.
40 years ago work in a sawmill , one summer for 4-5 months we sawed 10-12K a day some times 6 days a week. Order was for 8/4 n 12/4 , with 5/4 for the boards, went to a furniture company. Some shipped green but kiln dryed most of it. Really was nice lumber no knot much, yes some hollow ones mostly clear lumber, beings I ran the edger a lot passed thru my hands that summer. Ty Troy
We live in Doddridge WV and use them for firewood. You have to cut them down and split them in one to two days. Any longer and they be hard to split,and cut. They dry fast and burn (ok) it’s not oak but works good enough.imo
They are my favorite tree honestly but never owned a property with one in but it is first think I am planting on the next homestead You taught more then the research I have done over the years Your channel is fantastic keep up the good work! Been binge watching for over hour haha Sheaffer Select Coins
We recently purchased an older home just south of Richmond VA. Has one of the biggest, stately American Sycamore trees I have ever seen. The wood is gaining a lot of interest as a tone-wood for guitar tops. I hate big trees close to my house and immediately had two large red oaks looming over the house cut down. One was 4’ in diameter and was 6’ off the back corner of the house. The Sycamore is a good 60’ from our house in the back yard and I’ve left it for now. It drops a lot of debris in the back yard, but man is it beautiful.
Yep. Once you have a sycamore tree in your garden you have a full time job stopping it from becoming a forest. I'm surprised that one stood alone for so long.
Harvested one with leaves, made good compost after processing it with the woodchipper. I would not be surprised that it can be used for animal bedding when harvested and chipped during winter.
Well, to each is own, I don't share your opinion of sycamores. I live in the West, where it's hot and dry. You apparently are highly biased because you take your forest and all the water you have on your property for granted, so of course you can be picky with an abundance of tree species and use words like "hateful" and "Satan" (family friendly, not) against sycamores which is completely over the top. I'll be glad to take all the sycamore trees you don't want because I have 24 acres and there is no shade on it. This is a fast and shady tree, and I want it, even if I have to go get cuttings to root them in the ground to get the shade I need. Also, when established, the tree is fairly drought resistant and fire resistant as well which you don't discuss. As a firefighter, I cut down lots of sycamores with a chainsaw and had no problems, they act like chimneys since they are hollow, but the bark doesn't sustain flames and they don't carry fire. But, I can't recommend your opinion of them.
I'm sitting here with my busted ankle just enjoying your channel. You do a good and honest job, I'm going to share your channel with my audience...keep up the great work.
Red Tool House - Homestead It's been a long summer but hopefully I'll be cleared to walk about mid August. We will definitely have to figure something out.
I Harvest The Liquid Sap For A Delicious Nutrious "HEALING" Drink & Also Makeing Syrup....YES, One Must Control Their Offspring Popping Up In Unwanted Locations...LOL!!!! ...YES It's Best To Make Them Work For You Not Against You.
So around here (urban area) we don't have a lot of Sycamores. We *do* have hundreds of London Plane trees though, which are half Sycamore. Like them, they shed bark, perhaps even more copiously. I do find that bark to be a good mulch, and I gather up as much of the bark as I can in the summer, when they shed it the most. And since this is the city, Squirrels and various birds, especially Robins, are a problem. If you're managing your garden right, it'll have lots of worms, which Squirrels and Robins will destroy said garden to get to. The only way to stop it without installing netting is to put down mulch in the form of lots of nurse logs, woody debris big enough that the Robins can't move it. A few nice thick sheet sized Sycamore sheddings tend to do quite nicely for that. So they do have some value as an input for gardens, if you don't mind doing the manual labor of gathering it.
I cut one for firewood last year and split it by hand. It wasnt as bad as trying to split a pin oak the same way and it does dry oyt really fast once split. If you need to get a wood stove going in a hurry it is hard to beat once its dry
Red Tool House - Homestead I live in Southwest Virginia and stacked it in a Swedish style round pile with just a piece of plywood over the top and it was dry in just few months. I was surprised by how quick it dried
A guy I work with cuts them for firewood and burns them green in his outdoor boiler and says they are awesome. I just bought a boiler and may give it a try, that’s a bunch of firewood.
I have at least one on my 16 acre farm. It stands grand and proud while showing off its smooth white under-bark. It is away from the house and causes me no issue. I will look for saplings this spring. I am a fiber artist (using ,mostly wool, alpaca, mohair, Angora from my animals). The bark can be used for natural dyes.
I would have to agree with the dislike of the Sycamore tree. they are incredibly heavy green.....and IF you can get them dried out....very light and burn in no time. They are also a very dangerous tree......I have been out in the woods and heard incredibly loud crashing though the canopy....to find an 18in branch laying at the base of a Sycamore tree......just because.....little wind, no rot in the branch.....it fell just because. When settlers were traveling across the country, they would cut Sycamores near boggy areas and lay them side by side across the bog to create a road......and the ends of those logs, sprouts would grow into magnificent tree lined roadway in the swampy areas......there are probably still rural roads that are from that practice. With as much as I dislike this tree.....I wonder why Europeans love this dangerous tree so much.....they were brought from the Americas to Europe....seems weird to want this less than desirable tree.
I did this by accident. I found some down sycamore trees on the ex's property and she asked me nice to please get rid of them as they drag on her clothes going out to the mailbox. Okay, since you were nice about it and I owe you big time not able to see the kids like I wanted. I went in her car garage and sure enough was a little chain saw and it was sharp so I didn't have many excuses... I went out to the end of the drive and where they laid was water running down the drive. I looked and sure enough hollow like you said. So I borrow her naibor guy's backhoe and dug the ditch a bit deeper and then cut that hollow sycamore to the length I needed. I scootched it in the ditch and covered it up with that carolina clay around it and waited a few... smoked a cigarette and waited some more hoping and then bingo water going through the culvert! A first for me but most of all I got the big piece gone. And her drive dried up. She drives one of those cars that weigh about a little more than the sack of groceries that she went after. I shoved the limbs in the back of my pickup I rented and when I turned it back the limbs were still in it. I had to pay ten dollars extra for cleaning and that was good with me cause I had a plane to catch home to alaska
Yes they grow everywhere you can't kill it. I ripped up the root ball on one and still every year the root system? produces several. The saplings are like a plague.
I want to cut mine from my backyard. Am I going to start seeing saplings everywhere if i do? Do you regret ripping yours off? I am also considering cutting only enough to put a tree house but also wonder what will happen if it will get bugs? 🤔 I have so many questions.
While listening to a lecture on Street Trees at UC Davis of California. The Representative would say "They are "Sick-a-More" than any others ! I never forgot that Quote.
I live in Quebec, Canada and just discovered a sycamore on my property. A few years ago I culled about 10 of these trees because I thought they were maples and more grew back. I just left them. The leaves have the black spot on them which I thought was disease. I love the one growing beside a fence all by itself, about 60 feet high, but no shedding bark. Maybe some sort of hybrid. Now November and still holding on to about half of its leaves, all my real maples have shed leaves, even my oaks. I love the sycamore.
I'm considering planting them deliberately on some land I own with a high water table to try and dry it out a bit. Draining a "wetland" is illegal in most places, but planting a sparse sycamore forest isn't. It's a slow go, but it's a legal workaround that can turn land that won't pass a perc test into land that will.
We did green ash in areas that our loblolly pine drowned out. The grew extremely fast at first. Sold them as hardwood pulpwood. Will be planting sycamore in the future.
I have one on my backyard I love the tree I live in the high desert of California this tree saves me every summer the trunk of the tree is about 3 and 1/2 to 4 ft wide
Great points (pros and cons, and more possible pros at the end). Thanks. And will love to hear if you end up tapping them and may find you like the syrup. :-) never considered that.
The American sycamore like the European sycamore can be a bit of a weed but if you plant a single specimen they can turn into a ver majestic tree. They can be pollarded or coppiced but it is never very successful. The timber can be used to turn wooden bowls.
The one tree I would wonder about is cottonwood. It grows super fast, throws seed everywhere. It breaks easy and sucks for a timber tree. plus its one of the few trees I know of that's hardly worth messing with for fire wood.
You know what kills a sycamore dead every time? A Wisconsin winter! At least I assume that's the reason they don't grow this far north. There's always something though. Release the canopy over more than a few acres (clear cut) and a species of poplar will sprout like planted fields and grow an easy 12 feet in two years. Basswood is probably the most good-fer-nuthin, robs sunlight and water tree we have going around these parts nowadays that the model toy and carving and light duty packing box industries are all but defunct.
Columbia Forest Products will peel both sycamore and basswood every day and use it for the inner layers of there poplar plywood product.. so there is stumpage value for these tree species.. Actually they will pay you pretty generously for them.
I'll have to defer to people more expert on that, but whatever special flavor would be blended into the general spring flush. It should be reasonably good if the syrup is worth making from the sap.
I'll have to defer to people more expert on that, but whatever special flavor would be blended into the general spring flush. It should be reasonably good if the syrup is worth making from the sap.
Pretty sure I've been beat with not just a sycamore switch but any other kind of tree you want to mention and probably a few you don't :D I was raised by my grandparents and great grandparents and wasn't into doing things the easy way...
I just jerked one of these by the roots out of the ditch near my house. You talk about a root system! I had to cut the root with a buzz saw and when I planted it in the back yard, it didn't even wilt!
My great grandfather put a sycamore post in the ground to stack hay around it. The thing sprouted! Here we are 120 years later and its still alive and a giant.
