American sycamores, the largest broadleaf trees in North America, are common across the eastern U.S., where they favor the rich, moist soil along streams and floodplains. Often reaching 100 feet in height, these trees have been known to live up to 600 years. Their thin outer bark peels in irregular patches, giving sycamores a whitish appearance and making them stand out in the bleak winter landscape.
The massive trunk of the sycamore, often up to 10 feet in diameter, tends to hollow out as the tree ages, attracting wild creatures that den in tree cavities; squirrels, raccoons, opossums, bats, chimney swifts and owls are among its common residents. Its ball-shaped seed pods, a food source for many songbirds, usually remain on the tree throughout the winter, awaiting the warm, moist soil of spring.
