Stats

Lifespan

Up to 400 yrs

Size

Huge

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

Central Europe

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Armor

Status

Common

About

The sycamore maple is a large, fast-growing tree native to central Europe and western Asia, now widely naturalised across Britain and North America. Its paired winged seeds — called samaras — spiral down like helicopter blades, earning it the nickname 'helicopter tree' among children.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Sapindales

Family

Sapindaceae

Genus

Acer

Species

Acer pseudoplatanus