American Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

Taxonomy

Division:: Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:: Platanaceae
Genus:: Platanus
Species:: Platanus occidentalis

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:: Perennial
Growth Habit:: Tree
Height:: More than 40 ft
Light Requirements:: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Drought Tolerance:: Low
Bloom Months:: mar, apr
Bloom Colors:: Red, Yellow, Green, Brown

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Ontario

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:: ★★☆☆☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Abbot's Bagworm Moth (Oiketicus abbotii), Adoxophyes furcatana, Ailanthus silkmoth (Samia cynthia), American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), American plum borer (Euzophera semifuneralis), Ancylis platanana, Bagworm moth (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Chain-lined geometer moth (Cingilia catenaria), contracted datana (Datana contracta), Dead-wood Borer Moth (Scolecocampa liburna), drab prominent (Misogada unicolor), Ectoedemia clemensella, Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Gelechia albisparsella, Gelechia desiliens, Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Io moth (Automeris io), military pococera moth (Pococera militella), Mottled Prominent (Macrurocampa marthesia), Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), Puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis), Regal Moth (Citheronia regalis), Sabulodes caberata, Sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis), sycamore leaf blotch miner (Ectoedemia platanella), Sycamore Pinion (Lithophane signosa), Sycamore Tussock Moth (Halysidota harrisii), Synanthedon resplendens, two-toned ancylis moth (Ancylis divisana), Walker’s Atlas Moth (Samia walkeri), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), woodland leafroller (Pandemis lamprosana)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:: rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:: 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:: tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:: consistently moist
Notes:: Thrives in floodplain and riverbank environments

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Seeds germinate at 30/20 C. Germination was greater in light than dark. Seeds are planted in late April using a Love seeder set at 2nd gear at 12 setting into prepared field beds.

Establishment: Seeds are purchased from local people who collect within a 50 mile radius of the nursery. Seeds are also collected in Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Sulphur, Oklahoma. P. occidentalis is found within temperate deciduous forests of North America, from Maine to Iowa, south to central Texas and east to Florida. Populations also occur in northern Mexico.

Source: npn.rngr.net