SYCAMORE (Acer pseudoplatanus)

The sycamore is a round-topped deciduous tree with a girth of up to 1.5m. It can reach 40m in height and is the largest of the maple family in Europe. The sycamore is not native to Britain and it is not known for certain who introduced it. It has only been well established in Britain for 200 years

The sycamore is a hardy, tough tree, bearing clusters of small green flowers in the spring. The fertilised flowers develop into winged seeds ('helicopters') which spin away from the parent tree when ripened in the autumn.

It has a greyish-green bark which is thin and smooth in young trees and flaky in mature trees. The bark is often stripped off by grey squirrels.