Acer pseudoplatanus seed | Sycamore Maple
LATIN NAME: Acer pseudoplatanus COMMON NAME: Sycamore Maple
Botanical Profile
Sycamore maple is native to central and southern Europe and western Asia, where it grows into one of the largest maples, with broad, coarsely toothed five-lobed leaves and a sturdy, wind-resistant form that has made it especially successful in exposed coastal and upland sites across its introduced range in Britain and northern Europe. Winged seed pairs, or samaras, spin down in large numbers each autumn, helping the species establish readily on disturbed or open ground.
Science & Conservation
Sycamore maple wood occasionally develops a rippled, figured grain known as fiddleback maple, long prized by instrument makers for violin and cello backs, and the chemistry and structure behind this figuring has been studied by wood scientists interested in how such patterns form during growth. Its exceptional tolerance of coastal salt spray, wind exposure and urban pollution has also made it a frequently studied species in windbreak and amenity-planting research across northern Europe, where it succeeds on sites too harsh for many other broadleaf trees.
Landscape & Practical Uses
Sycamore maple’s tolerance of wind, salt spray and poor soils makes it a valuable windbreak and shelterbelt tree in exposed coastal and upland areas, and its fine, pale timber, particularly figured fiddleback wood, is prized for musical instruments, furniture and turnery. It is also a substantial and reliable shade tree in parks and larger gardens, though in parts of Britain it is managed with some caution given how readily it self-seeds into woodland and hedgerows.
Growing From Seed
Cold, moist chilling breaks the seed’s dormancy well, and once sown into a loose, well-drained mix this wind-hardy species shows little fuss about exposure, tolerating brighter, breezier positions than many maples prefer even at the seedling stage. Steady moisture during establishment helps it settle in before it starts showing the vigorous growth that has made it such a reliable performer on harsh coastal sites.
Related Maples
Explore other maples in this collection: Acer pseudosieboldianum (Korean Maple), Acer rufinerve (Redvein Maple), Acer serrulatum (Serrulate Maple), Acer triflorum (Three-Flowered Maple).