Meet Bedford's 200-year-old sycamore

 A stately sycamore likely centuries old is often overlooked because of the neighboring Bedford Oak. THANE GRAUEL PHOTO

By KATE BRANCH

Guarding Bedford’s mighty oak tree is another ancient and tall tree. It is the American sycamore or Platanus occidentalis. The sycamore may have been growing beside the oak for the past 200 years. 

It has many distinctive features. Midway up its single 80-foot trunk it divides into two. The branches are twisted and tangled and can spread up to 100-feet across. 

Most noticeable is the bark. The trunk in younger trees and in the upper part of older trees has peeling bark that is gray, green and white, resembling camouflage. The bark on the lower trunk of older sycamores is a rough peeling brown that resembles old corduroy pants. It is not hard to locate a sycamore in the woods.

They are long-living trees that can grow up to 100 feet tall. The species is one of the tallest native Eastern trees. They can be found all over Bedford, lining the fairways of the Bedford Golf & Tennis Club, majestically appearing along Guard Hill Road and in front of Truck restaurant, to name a few. Sycamores can be found as far north as Canada and Minnesota and as far south as Texas and Florida.

The leaves are star-like, resembling maple leaves and have three to five lobes, bright green on top and pale green underneath. The fruit, fuzzy brown balls, can be seen hanging from branches. The seeds are protected inside of the fuzzy brown balls. 

New York’s Central Park has a large number of sycamore trees known as “city trees.” They can tolerate a lot in cities — air pollution, soil compaction and winter road salt.

Homeowners find them to be high-maintenance trees. They are frequently dropping leaves, twigs and their fuzzy fruit balls. They also can grow tremendously tall. 

In the fall, there is not a lot of seasonal color — the leaves turn brown or tan. The wood is hard and tough-grained, and can be used for furniture and boxes. 

The sycamore tree provides shade and beauty to the landscape and food for wildlife. 

The Bedford Oak and neighboring sycamore may have been growing on the Post Road when the Declaration of Independence was signed — both possible witnesses to the history of Bedford.

Kate Branch lives in Bedford and is a certified master gardener.