Q: We are curious to know the identity of a tree we saw in a park, surviving the Southwest climate that has leaves that look like a maple and a round spiky seed pod. Can you tell us?

Leaves – deciduous, simple, 3-5 shallow lobes, sinuses and margins are serrated, petioles are enlarged at base to enclose bud, stipules are leaflike. Twigs – leaf scar surrounds bud, stipule scar ...

Acer pseudoplatanus, also known as the sycamore maple or plain sycamore in the UK, is a tree that’s often known more for its negative qualities than its positive – large, fast growing and prone to ...

A sycamore is a grand, stately native tree with attractive, peeling white-and-gray bark and broad, shady leaves. Sadly, sycamores are sometimes affected by a disfiguring fungal disease called ...

Gardeners often think unfondly of sycamores. These are big, resilient, untidy trees, relatively recent arrivals, and of careless habits. Their winged seeds, and the tough little seedlings that sprout ...