please help me identify a tree

[patandchickens]

From your description it sounds exactly like sycamore, they have those maple-y leaves but seed "balls".

They get big, with gorgeous pale bark that peels to reveal a sort of curvaceous crazy-quilt of different tones of white and tan and light green. They are quite fast-growing and do well in wet places (although they will tolerate seasonal drought pretty well). Their roots are shallow and will heave pavement and poke up through lawn.

The main two things to know about them is that they get to be pretty large trees, and most of all, that they have CRAPPY WEAK WOOD and are highly prone to losing branches of all sizes in storms or even light breezes. I would absolutely not plant one anywhere that it will eventually get tall enough to overhang (or be just upwind of in storm season) a building or an area where you park cars or a livestock fence. They are beautiful trees, but not for the front yard

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[journey11]

The main two things to know about them is that they get to be pretty large trees, and most of all, that they have CRAPPY WEAK WOOD and are highly prone to losing branches of all sizes in storms or even light breezes. I would absolutely not plant one anywhere that it will eventually get tall enough to overhang (or be just upwind of in storm season) a building or an area where you park cars or a livestock fence. They are beautiful trees, but not for the front yard Pat

Very true! My dad has had one section of his pasture fencing repeatedly squashed by large limbs from one sycamore tree that have broken off during storms.

They are also a bit messy, taking forever to drop all their leaves and balls. But the ghostly white branches are so pretty, aren't they.