The American Sycamore Tree
Researched by Tyler B. and Hunter

Tree located at Hawthorne Elementary School 2405 Champaign Avenue Mattoon, Illinois

Description:

Large specimens are easily recognized, even at a distance, by their open crown of large, lateral spreading branches, growing between 60 and 100 feet tall.  It has a straight trunk rising from a large base.  Also called the American Planetree, this species develops the largest trunk of any North American hardwood with  the current champion having a diameter of 11 feet.

Habitat:

stream banks, floodplains, and in wet areas at the edges of lakes and swamps; are also found in mixed forests and in parks.  It prefers moist soils, but does well in most soils;  prefers open country to forests, lowlands to uplands.      Range:  southern Maine to southeastern Nebraska, south into Texas, and along the Gulf of Mexico to northern Florida.

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