The western plane tree is a tree that grows abundantly in the eastern regions of the United States, but there are hybrid varieties throughout Europe. In North America this plant is also referred to as sycamore. It grows quickly, is massive and much loved for the shade it provides and resistance to breakage. If you look closely at its bark, leaves and fruit, you can tell if you are facing a plane tree.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Based on Branches and Bark
Step 1. Watch the bark flake off
This tree has a rather friable outer portion that does not support the rhythm of its growth; as a result, the bark peels off frequently and the result is a mottled and uneven coating.
Step 2. Check the "camouflage" colors of the bark
As the old layer peels off to reveal the younger layer underneath, the bark of the plane tree sports different colors: brown, green, white and tan which give it the typical look of an army camouflage.
Step 3. Look for thick, dome-shaped hair
The crown (the foliage of the tree) can extend up to 18 m in width and 24 m in height; the branches and leaves fill all the space creating a wide dome.
Step 4. Inspect the diameter of the log
Although not the tallest tree ever, the plane tree has the largest trunk of all plants growing in the eastern United States; check that it has a diameter of 1-2.5 m.
Step 5. Look for zigzag twigs
Those that develop from the main branches follow a direction, and then change it immediately after a bud; this phenomenon gives them a zigzag appearance, like that of a lightning bolt.
Method 2 of 3: Based on the Leaves
Step 1. Count five distinctive lobes
A lobe is an individual section of the leaf that radiates from the center point, just like the fingers of a hand. Most of the leaves of the sycamores have five large lobes, each with a peculiar vein that runs along it.
- Some leaves have only three lobes, but usually there are five.
- The leaves can be up to 10 cm wide, measured from the tip of one extreme lobe to the other.
Step 2. Verify that each individual leaf is connected to a specific point on the branch
The foliage of this plant develops with an alternating pattern, which means that one leaf arises from one point of the branch and the next one on the opposite side, but a little further on, respecting an alternating distribution.
This feature contrasts with the opposite distribution, where the leaves grow at the same point on the branch, facing each other
Step 3. Touch the edge to feel its jagged line
The leaves have a series of rounded "teeth" along their contour which makes them appear serrated.
Step 4. Observe the dark green or yellow color
In the summer and spring the foliage is dark green, but in the fall it turns yellow before falling for the winter.
Method 3 of 3: Based on Flowers and Fruits
Step 1. Look for woody balls
In autumn the plane tree produces balls of this type, the fruits, on long stems. Those of the American variety look like individual pendulums, while the fruits of the hybrid varieties grow in "clusters" of two or three elements from a single stem.
Step 2. Look at the seeds that look like helicopters
The seed is arranged in pairs that fall from the tree by rotating on themselves and that resemble the blades of a helicopter. This "trick" allows the seeds to spread over a larger area, as they can glide and float away from the tree of origin. Look for these pairs at the ends of the twigs or on the ground near the plant.
Step 3. Look for small yellow-green flowers
A single plane tree produces both male and female flowers, albeit from different branches; they have very small, white stamens and thin green or light yellow petals.
