Description

Western sycamore grows in a variety of habitats from about Red Bluff in Northern California into northern Baja. Common to all sites is the presence of water, which the tree needs in abundance. Western sycamore grows as a single or multi-trunk tree with an open rounded form. Unlike its close relative the London planetree, Platanus x acerifolia, which grows straight and upright, western sycamore tends to lean and twist with age. The resulting structure can be quite dramatic, but the tree will need space as it adopts a natural form. The bark is bone white with patches of tan and gray. Western sycamore is an important wildlife plant, hosting the larvae of the western tiger swallowtail and many other butterflies.