Quick Facts
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Height at Maturity: 75-100 Feet
Usage: Landscaping
Shipped As: Bare-root
Planting Zones:
Product Details
American Sycamore Seedlings for Streambanks and Floodplains
American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is the white-barked giant that lines creeks and rivers across the eastern United States. Our bare root sycamore seedlings are sold wholesale in bundles of 100, 500 and 1,000, graded 6-12 inch, 12-18 inch or 6-24 inch row run. Stream restoration contractors, conservation districts, DOT crews and landscape firms rely on sycamore when a site needs a fast, durable canopy on moist ground.
Sycamore Seedling Profile
| Species | Platanus occidentalis |
|---|---|
| Also called | American sycamore, buttonwood, buttonball tree, American planetree |
| Family | Platanaceae (plane tree family) |
| Zones | USDA 4 to 9 |
| Height at maturity | 75 to 100 feet, with a spread of 50 to 75 feet |
| Growth | Fast, often 2 feet or more per year |
| Sun | Full sun to part shade |
| Soil | Moist to wet; clay, loam or sand |
| Signature traits | Mottled white, tan and green bark; broad maple-like leaves; round "button" seed balls |
The Riparian Workhorse
Sycamore is native to floodplains, so it thrives where creeks rise and fall. Its fast root growth binds loose alluvial soil, and it re-sprouts vigorously from the base, which makes it a favorite for streambank stabilization and riparian forest buffers. Restoration designers often place sycamore on the lowest bench of a buffer, right at the water's edge, where it shades the channel and keeps water cool for aquatic life.
Common Sycamore Applications
- Stream and river restoration, including stream mitigation banks
- Riparian forest buffers on farmland
- Floodplain reforestation and bottomland hardwood plantings
- Highway interchanges, detention basins and municipal parks
- Large-scale shade for schools, campuses and commercial sites
- Nursery lining out for shade-tree production
Habitat and Ecology
Large, hollowing sycamores become den trees for wood ducks, barred owls, chimney swifts and raccoons. Goldfinches, purple finches and chickadees pick seeds from the button balls through winter. Shade from streamside sycamores supports trout and other cool-water fish.
Spacing Guidelines
Riparian buffers are commonly planted at 10 by 10 feet (about 435 seedlings per acre) or 12 by 12 feet (about 300 per acre). For a single shade row along a road or park edge, space trees 40 to 50 feet apart to leave room for the broad crown.
Which Grade Should You Order?
Choose 6-12 inch stock for nursery beds and high-density buffer work, 12-18 inch for installs where a taller stem helps crews and inspectors find each tree, and 6-24 inch row run for budget-minded acreage planting. All three ship bare root; our bare root planting guide explains handling.
Buffer Partners
For a layered riparian planting, combine sycamore with silver maple, swamp white oak and bald cypress, then add live stakes along the toe of the bank. More species are in our erosion control plants collection.
FAQ: Sycamore Seedlings
How quickly do sycamore seedlings grow?
Sycamore is one of the fastest native hardwoods, often adding 2 feet or more per year on moist, sunny sites.
Is buttonwood the same as American sycamore?
Yes. Buttonwood and buttonball tree are common names for Platanus occidentalis, named for its round seed heads.
Will sycamore grow in clay soil?
Yes. Sycamore adapts to clay, loam and sand and thrives where soil stays moist.
How many sycamore seedlings do I need per acre?
About 300 to 435 per acre at standard 12 by 12 or 10 by 10 foot buffer spacing.
When will my sycamore order ship?
Sycamore seedlings ship dormant in November, timed for fall and winter planting.
Who Grows Your Sycamores
We are the wholesale side of TN Nursery, a family-run grower founded by Roscoe Tate in 1959 on what is now 170 acres in Altamont, Tennessee. Our plants have gone to the Washington Monument grounds, and we have grown more than 200,000 redbuds alongside our shade-tree seedlings. Each order is backed by our Arrive Alive guarantee. For counts of 500 or more, request a wholesale quote.