Winter Sycamore - Sepia

Winter Sycamore - Sepia, originally uploaded by gwENvision.

As anyone that has ever had a Sycamore tree in their yard can testify, they are a real pain in the patootie to own. They have giant leaves that once they drop, seem to be made of leather, refusing to be mulched by the mower. They have seed balls that sabotage walking barefoot in the grass. They have roots that often protrude above ground. They are prone to shed limbs without cause. The list is endless but often when I come across a giant Sycamore like this I think to myself, WOW, what a great tree.

It also reminds me of a family story about my dad who griped and moaned for years about the Sycamore in his yard, one he had planted himself I might add. Finally my parents decided to reduce the size of their house and yard for retirement. They spent months looking for just the right place. It wasn't until after the move, that he noticed, there in the back yard waiting to aggravate him into perpetuity, was a giant Sycamore tree!