Platanus occidentalis

American sycamore, American plane or American planetree is in the plane tree or Plantanaceae family and is native to much of the eastern half of the United States.

• Leaf is simple, alternate and palmately veined, 10–23 cm long, three to five-lobed, with broad, shallow sinuses rounded in the bottom. In summer, buds are completely hidden by the bases of the petioles.
• Species is monoecious. Flowers appear in May along with the leaves in dense heads. Female (staminate) and male (pistillate) heads are on separate stems (peduncles). The staminate heads are dark red, on auxiliary peduncles; pistillate heads are light green tinged with red, smaller and more plentiful, on longer terminal peduncles.
• Fruit forms seed balls (achenes) 2.5 cm in diameter, normally 2 per stock, which hang on stems 7 to 14 cm long which remain on the tree over the winter.
• Twigs are zigzag; leaf scars completely surround the twig; buds are conical.
• Bark is exfoliating, separating into thin plates which peel off and leave the surface pale yellow, or white, or greenish.