Plant: Exclamation - Sycamore Tree

Plant description

Exclamation is a fast growing large shade tree with a strong central leader and a strongly upright pyramidal crown when young, maturing near 60 feet tall and 45 feet wide. Its bark exfoliates early, running through green, tan and brown and peeling to expose cream white inner bark, which is the tree's main ornamental feature. Medium green lobed leaves turn yellow to brown in fall. Flowers are insignificant, and the paired globose seed heads are produced in fewer numbers than on the species but still shatter and litter over winter. It tolerates many soils, salt and pollution, and was selected for superior resistance to anthracnose and frost cracking, which makes it a street and park tree.

Flowers

Monoecious and insignificant; green male flowers and burgundy red female flowers in April and May.

Fruit

Globose seed heads paired on long stalks, produced in fewer numbers than on the species; they shatter over winter.

Bark & stems

Bark exfoliates early, moving through green, tan and brown and peeling away to expose cream white inner bark with age.

Native range

Hybrid of Platanus occidentalis and Platanus orientalis, selected at the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois

Plant details