Content
The sycamore tree is a large plant with a spectacular shady crown and a powerful trunk covered with greenish-gray peeling bark. It is the only representative of the Planaceae family and has been considered the most beautiful tree of the East since ancient times.
Description of the sycamore tree
Chinara belongs to the category of tall trees and has impressive dimensions. The trunk of a plane tree can reach 8 m in diameter with a height of up to 50 m. The growth of plane tree continues throughout its life, which is due to the active production of cambium, which ensures the thickening of the woody layer. And the strength and quality of wood are maintained due to the synthesis of the organic polymer lignin in it.
Chinara is protected by dense greenish or brown bark. As it matures, it falls off in thin layers, revealing a young yellowish-green surface.Thanks to this, plane trees do not accumulate toxins and easily survive in unfavorable urban conditions, where the air is oversaturated with exhaust gases. Because of its peeling bark, the sycamore tree is called a shameless tree.
Large palmate-lobed leaves of plane tree grow up to 30 cm and are supported by elongated petioles
The plane tree looks most impressive in spring. During this period, the branches of the plane tree are covered with clusters of small male and female flowers on elongated peduncles.
Multiple infructescences of the multi-nut type visually resemble miniature cones-balls covered with thorns. They are formed by small fruit heads with seeds, united by a strong pericarp. The fruits remain on the plane tree even after the leaves fall off. Next spring they scatter into individual seeds, carried by the wind throughout the area.
Where does the plane tree grow in Russia?
The natural habitat of the eastern plane tree, the photo of which does not convey all its power, covers the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. In the historical past, plane tree was much more widespread. Imprints of its leaves have been found in Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary deposits of Siberia and the Far East.
How many years does a sycamore tree live?
Chinara belongs to the category of long-lived plants. The average lifespan of a tree is 800-1000 years. And representatives of certain types of plane trees live longer than two thousand years.
The name of the tree “sycamore” has Greek roots and means “wide”
Types with photos and names
According to various sources, the genus Platanus unites 9-11 species. They differ in appearance and climatic preferences.
Sycamore or western sycamore
The most frost-resistant species, easily tolerating temperatures down to -35 0C, is considered endemic to North America and cannot withstand prolonged drought. The height of the western plane tree can reach 40 m, and the branch span is 25 m.
Due to its creamy white wood, the western sycamore is often called white
Oriental plane tree or plane tree
A luxurious tree with maple-like leaves, the eastern sycamore grows up to 30 m high and is considered the most picturesque of all species. It has a powerful dome-like crown and a cylindrical trunk. Oriental plane tree easily tolerates temperatures down to -15 0C, and its large five-lobed leaf blades up to 30 cm long remain on the branches until the next growing season.
In summer, the eastern sycamore throws out numerous clusters consisting of 5-7 reddish prickly “plane trees”
Sycamore Kerra
Unlike other species, this one has whole, oblong leaves that are leathery to the touch. Judging by the anatomical structure of the vegetative organs of the tree, the Kerr plane is a descendant of ancient varieties that existed in the Tertiary period.
Indochina is considered the birthplace of the Kerr plane tree.
Sycamore maple leaf
An artificially bred hybrid obtained by crossing western and eastern plane trees. The tree grows to at least 40 m and has a spreading crown, under the canopy of which up to 300 people can hide. It is adapted to the harsh meteorological conditions of central Russia and has pointed three- or five-lobed leaves, similar to maple leaves.
Maple-leaved sycamore is popularly called ordinary
Mexican sycamore
The southern species, whose habitat is limited to Mexico, is used to decorate streets and courtyards. The tree grows up to 45 m high and has spiny fruits with a circumference of up to 20 mm.
Under natural conditions, the Mexican plane tree is found mainly in river valleys.
Wright's Sycamore
The tree, about 25 m high, has a smooth and dividing trunk, decorated with a dense dome-shaped crown, and thin, heavily dissected leaves. The fruit, consisting of several heads, is attached to a long stalk.
Wright's plane tree grows in Mexico and the USA
Sycamore sycamore
The North American species, about 36 m high, has a very powerful rounded crown and a bifurcating trunk. Its large, dissected leaves are bright green, and its spiny fruits contain 2-7 seeds, protected by a pericarp.
Sycamore sycamore is adapted to urban conditions and is used for street landscaping
Features of planting and care
Sycamore is a heat-loving plant that prefers an abundance of light and moisture. The tree grows well in open and well-lit areas located away from houses and outbuildings. The powerful root system of the plane tree, growing, can destroy not only communications, but also the capital foundation.
The sycamore tree, from the photo of whose leaves the resemblance to maple is clearly visible, is undemanding in terms of soil composition. The main thing is that it is loose and fertile. When planting plane trees in an area with airtight and depleted soil, the seedling will grow more slowly and develop worse.
Certain types of sycamore prefer highly alkaline soil with a pH of 8
Plane trees are planted in both spring and early autumn. In the first case, the soil on the site should be dense, in the second – loosened. To do this, choose a strong and healthy seedling, from the root collar of which the root must necessarily originate. If it is missing, it is not a real plane tree seedling, but a cutting that has taken root. It takes root much worse and is not highly frost-resistant.
The hole for planting plane trees is dug so that it completely contains an earthen ball covering the root system of the seedling. The tree is carefully removed from the container and placed in the hole, covered with earth. The soil is thoroughly pressed and watered abundantly with non-cold, settled water. To slow down the growth of weeds and protect the roots of the plane tree from frost, I mulch the tree trunk with sawdust, spruce branches or fallen leaves.
Before planting, the leaves of the plane tree are torn off, otherwise the strength of the plane tree will be spent not on the root system, but on growing green mass
Further care for the plane tree involves performing standard agrotechnical manipulations. Fertilizers for plane trees are applied only while the tree is young. Typically, sycamore is fertilized with complex mineral compositions containing a full range of minerals and trace elements. The fallen leaves of plane trees are also used as feeding. Lying under a tree, it not only acts as mulch, but also gradually rots, turning into fertilizer.
Chinar belongs to the moisture-loving category and in its natural environment grows near large and small waterways or in lowlands where moisture collects.
Sycamore does not require mandatory decorative pruning. Shortening the plane tree is carried out in order to reduce the weight of the crown and give it a symmetrical rounded shape. Pruning is carried out in early spring before sap flow begins. During the procedure, dried and broken branches are also removed.
Reproduction methods
Chinara reproduces by both generative and vegetative methods. In the first case, seeds are used as planting material, in the second - cuttings or root shoots.
For propagation of plane trees in a generative way, high-quality seeds collected no more than 12 months ago and stored in a dry, cool place are suitable. If the terms and conditions of storage are not observed, they lose their germination capacity. Plane tree seeds are sown both in open and protected soil. Before this, they are poured into a cotton bag and buried in the ground to a depth of about 50 cm. The ambient temperature must be at least +10 0C. If the thermometer drops below the level, a bag of plane tree seeds is placed in a container with clean river sand and sent to the basement or to a glazed balcony, where the air is constantly heated to +10 0C.
In the spring, with the arrival of warmth, the seed material is removed from the soil and soaked for at least a day in cold water or a solution of a root formation stimulator.
Germinated plane tree seeds are sown in containers with loose sandy-peaty soil and planted to a depth of approximately 20 mm
The crops are covered with a transparent film and kept at a temperature not lower than +25 0C. They are shaded from direct sunlight, regularly ventilated and watered as the substrate dries. Plane tree seedlings are characterized by high growth rates and by the second year they stretch up to 50 cm.
To propagate a plane tree by root shoots in the fall or spring, a healthy, strong shoot is selected from the mother tree and separated from the root system of an adult specimen. The cut areas are immediately powdered with crushed charcoal, after which the seedling is transferred to a permanent place.
When propagating plane trees by cuttings, a lignified branch 40 cm long and approximately 20 mm thick, from which all the leaves have already fallen, is separated from it. It is placed in a bucket of water and put away in a cool room until spring. When the buds on the plane tree cuttings begin to swell, they are transferred to the ground. Some gardeners plant cuttings directly after cutting, treating the cuts with a root formation stimulator. In both cases, plane tree cuttings are buried into the soil by 2/3 of the length, and the above-ground part is tilted at an angle of 450.
Diseases and pests
Chinara is susceptible to many diseases, the most common of which is cancer. The pathology is accompanied by the drying out of most of the branches of the plane tree and the appearance of brown spots on its trunk. The disease is extremely difficult to treat and often leads to the death of plane trees. Currently, many nurseries are working to breed plane trees that are immune to cancer.
The causative agent of sycamore cancer is the fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata
Another disease that poses a threat to plane trees is anthracnose.It is accompanied by the appearance of small browned areas or grooves and cracks on the leaves along the veins. To combat the disease, plane trees are treated with Fundazol or Bordeaux mixture.
Anthracnose in plane trees develops when infected with the fungus Gnomonia veneta or Glonomonia platani
Of the pests, the greatest danger to plane trees is the plane tree laceweed. The small insect overwinters under plates of tree bark, and in spring and summer sucks nutritious juices from the leaves. With extensive damage, the entire crown of the plane tree turns yellow. To prevent the spread of the pest, the young tree is treated with insecticides such as Actellik, Aktara or Karbofos. Fighting sycamore laceweed on an adult plane tree will be problematic due to its size.
Sycamore laceweed is considered a carrier of incurable viral and fungal diseases
Meaning and Application
Chinara is a unique tree, valued for its versatility. Foliage, wood, bark and fruits of the plane tree are widely used in various areas of economic activity.
Plane tree wood is valued for its high quality and noble texture. Despite its strength, it can be easily processed and serves as a raw material for the production of furniture, joinery, flooring, high-quality decorative veneer and wooden crafts. Chinara gives a high-quality smooth surface both by hand and by machine. But when planing and profiling, it requires sharp sharpening of the cutting edges to prevent splitting and scuffing of fibers near the heart-shaped rays on radial cuts.
Due to its expensive reddish-golden hue, sycamore wood is often compared to snake skin
The bark and leaves of plane tree contain a large amount of useful substances and are widely used in medicine. Plantain-based products help lower cholesterol levels in the blood, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and reduce the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis. From the bark and leaves of the plane tree, healers prepared antidotes for snake bites and potions to stop bleeding. Sycamore remedies were used to treat cancer, dysentery, intestinal disorders, colds, frostbite, burns and toothache. Also, drugs based on the bark and leaves of plane tree were used to relieve pain and calm the nervous system. Despite its unique composition and beneficial properties, plane tree has not yet found use in official medicine.
Many types of plane trees are valued for their high decorative value and are used for landscaping city gardens and parks. Picturesque plane trees are planted as tapeworms or in combination with colorful shrubs.
Under the canopy of the luxurious shady crown of plane trees, cozy recreation areas are often set up.
Conclusion
The sycamore tree is a unique tall plant that lives for several hundred and sometimes thousands of years. Chinar is valued for its durable, beautiful wood, comparable to ash and oak, and is especially revered by residents of Eastern countries.
