Platanus occidentalis is the latin name for what most people call a “Sycamore” or "American Sycamore" tree. While taking a short walk in this park, the Mrs. and I discovered several beautiful trees, that were in full molt.
An American sycamore tree can often be easily distinguished from other trees by its mottled bark, that flakes off in great chunks. Unlike most trees, where the bark flexes, allowing the tree to grow and expand, the bark of the sycamore has a rigid texture which lacks the elasticity and stretching to accommodate the growth of the wood underneath, and the tree splits it off.
A sycamore can grow up to 40 m high and 1.5 to 2 m in diameter when grown in deep soils. The largest trees have been measured to 51 m tall, and nearly 4 m in diameter. Hint: The trunks of large trees are often hollow.