Sycamores

[hobble]

What do you think about sycamores? I live surrounded by mature sycamore trees. There is a blanket tree preservation order on all of them. I have to apply for planning to carry out any works on them and am not always allowed to touch certain trees.
Most people say they are weeds, I realise that to be so close to the coast I am lucky to have any trees.
Just wondered what your views are.............

[Mercadante]

We have a big old sycamore in our garden, and it's a beautiful tree.

However young saplings do grow like weeds all around it, and we try to keep them in check. They grow very fast and upright, trying to reach the sun, so not a bad source of logs! But I think sycamores are less useful to wildlife than other native tree species - I read somewhere that if all the sycamores went, the only the grey squirrels would really miss them. Though I think some of jackdaws that congregate in ours every morning might disagree.

[Mr Mag00]

i believe that sycamore has great anti-septic properties and should be used for kitchen utensils.

[naturelover]

Never had a problem with the sycamore,they are a nice looking tree but they do tend to put there self about,if you miss a seedling and it grows for a few months its a little sod to pull up,gets its roots right down so quick.

[hobble]

I agree with the seedlings coming up everywhere. If my parents had realized how quickly they grew something could have been done sooner. Each year I almost see them growing in front of me. A few are fine trees, but those that were not kept in check are struggling. I have tried to introduce some oak and beech ( although beech not native here) they are struggling with the lack of light. I do however have two beautiful ash, I just wish I was allowed to diversify a little.

[Paul mabbott]

I've written before on this and there are several lengthy threads.
For most birds &c. any tree is a good tree (except soft-leaved conifers).
Lichens and mosses ditto.
Sycamore doesn't host anything like as many host-specific invertebrates as native oaks and willows but for generalist insects it is a very productive tree - far more so than ash, alder and probably beech. There are two particular reasons for this. It hosts at least two specific aphids spread over the year therefore provides food for aphid-predatory insects (ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings, true bugs, spiders &c &c). Better even than oak. This is partly because, like other Acer spp its sap has higher concentrations of a mixture of sugars making it very useful for sap-suckers!

One of the difficulties of assessing the ecological value of sycamore (and some other trees which have been regarded by some as "weeds") compared to (e.g.) oak and beech is that people will not allow sycamore trees to mature. The problems with them tend to stem from them being chopped down, regenerating, not reaching maturity and therefore blanketting out the seed-germination that are complained about. I could show people places where the same 'problems' occur below oaks or young beech. However, some people assume that it's oak so that's okay, leave it alone but if it's sycamore, chop! exterminate! That seldom works .....

So leave the trees alone and in a hundred years or so you'll find that they're very valuable members of the plant community.

Originally Posted by Mercadante

............However young saplings do grow like weeds all around it, and we try to keep them in check. They grow very fast and upright, trying to reach the sun, so not a bad source of logs! But I think sycamores are less useful to wildlife than other native tree species - I read somewhere that if all the sycamores went, the only the grey squirrels would really miss them. Though I think some of jackdaws that congregate in ours every morning might disagree.

[Mercadante]

Thanks for the information, I shall look upon our sycamores with greater respect. Don't worry, we have a lot left.

[hobble]

Thanks for all that Paul. Now I know why we have so many hoverflies here and just recently I have seen little pale orange ladybirds on them. What are they?

I know the blue tits and great tits love them for the aphids.

It's great to know they are so beneficial to wildlife as Mercadente said the grey squirrels love them as do the jays, wood pigeons, magpies and the occasional buzzard.
I just wish we didn't have to park our cars under them!

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

......snip.....

Sounds very interesting, Paul - have you any literature on this that you can point me towards? I always like a good read on this sort of subject! Ta

Chris

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

!

One of the difficulties of assessing the ecological value of sycamore (and some other trees which have been regarded by some as "weeds") compared to (e.g.) oak and beech is that people will not allow sycamore trees to mature. The problems with them tend to stem from them being chopped down, regenerating, not reaching maturity and therefore blanketting out the seed-germination that are complained about. I could show people places where the same 'problems' occur below oaks or young beech. However, some people assume that it's oak so that's okay, leave it alone but if it's sycamore, chop! exterminate! That seldom works .....

The problem with sycamore tends to arrise in hazel and sweet chestnut coppice as the canopy of sycamore is much denser than that of oak or ash and tends to remove to much light from the understorey layer.

you are correct about the further problems arrising when they are chopped down as they will regenerate into fast growing coppice stool and out compete the hazel etc - however this can be dealt with by hex cutting the stump with a c/saw then stump treating with timbrel/triclopur (note it isnta good idea to use roundup/glyphosate as some research indicates that this can spread from tree to tree by root graft)

Outside of the coppice environment i dont have a problem with sycamore and certainly wouldnt advocate their blanket removal. It is also a nice wood to turn and makes nice bowls , platters etc.