A large tree, the sycamore reaches 35 metres high in the north and 60 metres in the United States. Its life span ranges from 250 to 600 years. The sycamore is one of the largest broadleaf trees in North America.
Young sycamores are sensitive to cold.
It is found mainly on rich, deep soils, from southern Ontario down to Mississippi. It is found as scattered individuals rather than in pure natural stands. There are a number of varieties of sycamore, which make it an exceptional ornamental. Sycamores frequently reproduce by stump shoots. Its fruits are in globular aggregates, and its leaf is palmately arranged like the maple leaf.