Sycamore Tree

Distinctive features

1. Sycamore trees have distinctive two-winged fruits known as samaras or helicopters. They are double winged seed pods.

2. The leaves are five fingered with toothed or slightly serrated edges and characteristic red stalks.

3. Flowers are small, green and hang down.

4. The sycamore tree grows tall and domed.

1. Sycamore trees have distinctive two-winged fruits known as samaras or helicopters. They are double winged seed pods.

To remember the distinctive and main features of a Sycamore Tree, use the following mnemonic:

Think of a man with a large, bald, domed head (sycamores are domed shaped) saying, "I'm sick." "No more, please." (Sycamore tree). There he is on the floor holding himself with his hand on the table. He should be careful with the big red handled serrated knives on the table (the leaves are hand shaped with serrated edges and a red stalk).

Think of a man with a large, bald, domed head (sycamores are domed shaped) saying, "I'm sick." "No more, please."

He becomes so ill a helicopter (fruits are helicopter shaped) takes him away hanging from the bottom on the helicopter (the flowers hang from the tree).

She becomes so ill a helicopter (fruits are helicopter shaped) takes her away hanging from the bottom on the helicopter (the flowers hang from the tree).

Distinctive Features of a Sycamore Tree.

1. After pollination by wind and insects, female flowers develop into distinctive two-winged fruits known as double samaras. When the fruits are mature and ready to disperse they initially fall and spin in a paired formation but they can disconnect and spin down individually catching the wind. This spinning and gliding action can make the fruits look like a helicopter descent.

To remember the distinctive and main features of a Sycamore Tree, use the following mnemonic:

Muséum de Toulouse, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Sycamore leaves resemble the shape of a hand with fingers spread out. The edges of the leaves are coarsely serrated like knife points giving a somewhat jagged appearance. The leaf stalk is often reddish.

2. Sycamore leaves resemble the shape of a hand with fingers spread out.

3. The flowers are small and inconspicuous and hang down from the branches like a tail. The flowers are wind-pollenated, which is why they do not need to be showy or fragrant to attract bees or butterflies.

3. The flowers are small and inconspicuous and hang down from the branches like a tail.

Albert Bridge / Sycamore flowers

4. The sycamore tree is tall and typically broad and domed with a rounded outline.

Sycamore tree by Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

5. The sycamore tree.

5. the sycamore tree

Tomorrow Never Knows, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons