The sycamore maple Acer pseudoplatanus, which belongs to the Aceraceae family and the Acer genus is arguably one of the most visually attractive tree species in the world.
The Acer pseudoplatanus is characterized for being a large deciduous tree with a rounded and wide canopy and abundant foliage, standing up to 100 feet tall; robust branches in greyish-green tones; a cylindrical shaped, upright trunk.
The Acer pseudoplatanus leaves are deciduous – falling every autumn and are composed of five lobes, being classified as simple, opposite leaves, with bilateral symmetry. As for the petioles, they are thick and long, reaching four to six inches.
The flowers are of greenish-yellow color, and can be either hermaphrodite or unisexual and are distributed in a large number often from sixty to one hundred flowers.
The flowering process occurs between April and May, whilst fruit ripening occurs by the end of the summer period.
Fruits are distributed along the tree in pairs, forming a ninety degree angle between them. They are also winged, allowing them to flutter through the air when they fall from the tree.
DISTRIBUTION
The Sycamore maple is a characteristic tree of mountain woods, being native of the Central and Southern Europe, as well as of the South-eastern region of Asia, where it predominates today.
ECOLOGY
The Acer pseudoplatanus is a rustic tree that tolerates shading, being also tolerant to low temperatures.
It thrives on fresh and deep soils, especially those constituted of limestone or dolomite, in hills and valleys of mountain areas.
For their characteristics, sycamore maples can play an important role in the colonization of new areas, in more advanced stages of ecological succession, for having an easy natural regeneration with a regular fruit from 20-30 years onwards, and for being a fast growth tree
USES
As we mentioned before, the Acer pseudoplatanus is one of the most preferred species to use in landscaping of small and large public spaces such as streets, avenues and public parks – since that it is a tree that provides shading besides also being a tree of undeniable aesthetic value.
But besides this, the Acer pseudoplatanus is also greatly valued by the quality of its wood. In fact, sycamore wood is recognized for being very homogenous, thus having big demands in a large number of industries, such as the carpentry and musical instruments’ industries.
Also, sycamore wood is also recognized for being a good choice for use in fireplaces.
