Unknown

Recently, my understanding of sycamore trees has been expanded, tested beyond the limits of what I’ve encountered in the past. I’ve spent time with the twin sycamores on Pinebank Promontory and highlighted the bark of the sycamore near Jamaica Pond. Yet there were several sycamore trees in Ardmore PA, outside Philadelphia, that presented entirely different profiles.

I suspect they are the same variety of sycamore; they just grew differently. Maybe it’s because they are street trees, majestic ones that tower over cars and two-family houses. Or maybe it’s the climate or the condition of the soil. Or maybe I’ve just led a sheltered life and haven’t seen this degree of variation in the bark of sycamores before.

These were huge trees, with trunks easily three feet in diameter, and the familiar mottled faint-yellow sections where the bark had peeled off. What set them apart was the large, burl-like protuberances at random intervals around the trunk.

It’s odd when something I thought was familiar suddenly shows itself with unfamiliar characteristics. That’s the mystery. Also, in this case, the beauty.