The leaves are three to five lobed with margins coarsely toothed. Sycamore leaves are shaped much like those of the maples, but are larger, lighter green and with a prominent midrib and palmate veins. On young stems leafy growths are present at the base of the leaf stem.
The buds are conical, blunt, 1/4 inch long, smooth, reddish and shiny
with single closed scale. The fruit is a characteristic brown, 1-inch, hairy
ball of wedge-shaped, closely packed seeds. The heads of the seeds form the
surface of the ball. The balls hang on the tree well in to the winter and
have given the tree names of buttonwood and buttonball.
The tree has a very distinct bark which identifies the species. On young
stems itis smooth, grayish to greenish or brownish gray. On larger branches
and trunks it breaks into thin, shell-like plates or scales with slough
off, producinga grayish or yellowish to greenish patchy or mottled appearance.Thebark
onthe bases of older trees becomes dark gray and ridged.
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