Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
My Sycamore Tree's Bark Is Falling Off
My Sycamore Tree's Bark Is Falling Off. Sycamores (Platanus spp.) are tall, spreading shade trees. These North American natives have few problems or pests, but their older bark flakes off in patches. If your sycamore is shedding bark, it may be a healthy, maturing tree.
Sycamores (Platanus spp.) are tall, spreading shade trees. These North American natives have few problems or pests, but their older bark flakes off in patches. If your sycamore is shedding bark, it may be a healthy, maturing tree.
Bark Characteristics
Sycamore trees begin as pale, smooth-barked saplings. As the tree grows, the thickening bark flakes off in small- to palm-sized patches, revealing light-green bark that fades to a creamy, off-white. Mature trees have rough, deep gray-brown bark on their trunks, while the thinner upper limbs keep their flaking bark. This growth habit creates a mottled pattern that gives the tree character even in midwinter.
Lightning Damage
Sycamore trees may reach up to 150 feet tall. Although most remain between 70 to 100 feet, even these midsized sycamores are still tall trees that attract lightning. Lightning, as it runs from the top of the tree to the ground, heats moisture in the tree. The resulting steam destroys tissue along the lightning's path and may blow bark right off the tree. Consult an arborist if lightning damages your tree, as dead tissue may harm the sycamore's structural integrity.
Disease
While sycamores are generally resistant to disease, fungal canker stain may affect bark on both the trunk and larger limbs. Circular or oval dark areas form on the surface, and the bark deteriorates. Beneath the bark, the tree’s inner wood is stained gray, black or brown. The fungus may spread throughout the trunk. Canker stain enters through breaks in the bark. Infected tools or insects also transmit the disease.
Other Exfoliating Trees
Sycamore varieties with exfoliating bark include the fast-growing London plane tree (P. acerifolia), the American sycamore (P. occidentalis), the California sycamore (P. racemosa) and its close relative the Arizona sycamore (P. wrightii). Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) also shed their bark in attractive patches, while paperbark maples (Acer griseum) and certain birch varieties, such as river birch (Betula nigra) and paper birch (B. papyrifera), have peeling, curling bark.
