Sycamore, your two cents

[Matthew Storrs]

I see no wrong in sycamore myself, why be so fussy when many trees seem to be in decline anyway. Id sooner have a wood full of sycamore then no woods at all. Sure they need managing with the amount of self seeders they produce, but thats a good thing, makes great firewood.

Alot of people are negative too as they are not native species, but 400 years in this country now, I think we can let that aspect slip.

A veteran sycamore is a mighty fine tree and I would argue for a sycamore to stay just as much as any other appropriate tree in the right place.

[Stubby]

I see no wrong in sycamore myself, why be so fussy when many trees seem to be in decline anyway. Id sooner have a wood full of sycamore then no woods at all. Sure they need managing with the amount of self seeders they produce, but thats a good thing, makes great firewood.

Alot of people are negative too as they are not native species, but 400 years in this country now, I think we can let that aspect slip.

A veteran sycamore is a mighty fine tree and I would argue for a sycamore to stay just as much as any other appropriate tree in the right place.

 

That's how I see it bud . Well said .

[HCR]

One key fact is that it is still expanding its abundance and frequency, occupying free space (in the ecological sense). This has two implications; firstly that it is highly unlikely to be native ( I think most people here accept that anyway) and secondly that the expansion has to come at a cost to other species. If those species are native, we need to consider the wider implications of sycamore presence.

[Le Sanglier]

Easy to climb, chips nice, burns well, pollards ok, light wood, looks ok, what's not to like?

[JonnyVine]

Easy to climb, chips nice, burns well, pollards ok, light wood, looks ok, what's not to like?

 

Here here

[Paul Cleaver]

if it wasnt for squirrel damage, would make a good timber tree

 

a fully mature sycamore can make a beautiful looking tree

[kernowstu]

Beautiful tree

[ben lightfoot]

I have heard ted green saying he has proven its a native and calls it the celtic maple

[omahaalex]

There seems to evidence for it being a non-native, and reasons for lack of evidence for it being native (doesnt grow near peat/waterlogged areas, pollen degrades).

 

Then again i read in some paper that they could not really tell the difference between field maple and sycamore pollen, and else where they often mistake Hazel for bog myrtle.

 

Is sycamore insect pollinated? this would result in less pollen dotted about compared to wind pollinated species?

 

Does a 2nd or third or 4th generation sycamore have more rights to claim to be a native? than say an an ash thats seeds have come from turkey? I'm just joking, but wouldn't an imported native spp lack resistances to some of our diseases? and frost etc.

 

So the definition of a native, is made it over to Britain 10000 years ago, before the ice retreated and the channel formed? Such a shame we'd have had much greater diversity, although probably far more invasions.

[omahaalex]

I always thought the percentage of sycamore would be rather high, as I see it everywhere (although I live in the north west). I think the fact that it germinates and invades gaps, makes it seem like there is far more of it, as it grows where we create gaps, woodland edges etc, i read somewhere that it cant germinate under its self, and easily gets out-competed by ash, wonder how that will turn out if Chalara spreads. As im guessing sycamore has attempted to fill the void of the elm