Sycamore is a large, majestic tree unbelievably beautiful on a moonlit night, soaring above its surroundings and featuring clear, white bark along its upper branches.
 
     Sycamore is one of the tallest of the Eastern deciduous trees and the largest by far at my nearby elementary school, where groups of kids congregate, hugging the trunk and step-stoning along its massive roots.  
 
     Sycamore also is extremely fast growing, shooting up at least two feet in a year.  Its fruit is a showy, fuzzy round ball that persists into winter.  Its bark is mottled, often showing light colored, almost white, bark underneath, especially toward the top of the tree, and it has large, maple-like leaves that turn yellowish-brown in fall.
 
     Good to wildlife, Sycamore is a larval host to the American Dagger and several other moth species. Finches, chickadees and other birds eat the seeds and waterfowl nest in its trunk.
 
     It's a pleasure to stand under the tree and gaze up at the branches and glorious crown of huge, crooked branches.  If you've got the space, think about adding a Sycamore :).
 
     Fun fact: Native Americans hollowed out the trunks of Sycamores to make canoes.
 
     2nd and 3rd photos: Creative Commons