Comments on: The Big White Tree with the Peeling Bark

By: Greg Dodge

Greg Dodge — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:08:29 +0000

My pleasure, Elizabeth.
Although these trees are associated with wet areas they have been planted extensively along streets and avenues across the country. How many towns and cities have a Sycamore Avenue, Lane, or Street?
Thanks,

By: Elizabeth Westra

Elizabeth Westra — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:20:39 +0000

We have dozens of these trees in my neighborhood, and I couldn’t figure out if they were diseased or what was the reason for them shedding their bark. I couldn’t identify them either except that they were white where the bark was gone. Thanks for clearing up this mystery for me.

By: Greg Dodge, Ranger

Greg Dodge, Ranger — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:55:31 +0000

That’s right, the seeds are ready to disperse. The balls break apart and the seeds are cast to the wind. In fact, with the steady SW winds today (Wednesday, 3/10) I saw many of the seeds floating by me like little paratroopers as I stood on the boardwalk and elsewhere in Explore the Wild and Catch the Wind.

By: Leslie A

Leslie A — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:46:21 +0000

Thanks for the post!! Very informative, if not totally conclusive. I was looking at the sycamores again yesterday and noticed that, along with their fruit balls, there were what looked like some little balls of fluff hanging from the branches. I guess the seeds are about ready to disperse? Has the warmer weather awakened them?

By: Joseph Caswell

Joseph Caswell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:52:03 +0000

We have a tree like that in our yard and we never knew what kind of a tree it was. Know we know…