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Common Name: Buttonwood

General Information

Platanus occidentalis is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 30.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

In hot dry climates the hairs of the fruits and leaves are believed to cause an effect similar to hay fever[, ].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern N. America - New England to Florida, west to Texas and Nebraska.

Habitat

Rich soils on the borders of streams and lakes[, ]. Often abundant on alluvial soils near streams and lakes and in moist ravines, sometimes on uplands, sometimes on limestone soils[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a deep moist loam[], though it tolerates very wet, poorly drained soils[]. Requires full sun[]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution and compacted soils[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[]. Fairly wind-resistant[].
A fast-growing and long-lived tree[, ], but it is of no value in Britain, being very susceptible to attack by parasitic fungi[]. Fairly slow-growing according to another report, which also says that the tree is long-lived in the wild[]. This species does not do well north of Central France, it requires long hot summers to fully ripen its wood[].

Edible Uses

The sweet sap is tapped in the spring and used in the preparation of syrup and sugar[, , ].

Medicinal

The inner bark is astringent, diuretic, emetic and laxative[]. It has been used as a tea in the treatment of dysentery, coughs, colds, lung ailments, haemorrhages, measles, milky and difficult urination etc and also as a blood tonic[, ]. Externally, it has been used as a wash on wounds[]. An infusion of the bark and roots has been used as a foot soak for treating rheumatism[].
The bark ooze has been used as a wash on infected sores and an infusion has been given in the treatment of infant rash[].
An infusion of the bark, mixed with honey locust bark (Gleditsia triacanthos), has been used as a gargle to treat hoarseness and sore throat[].

Other Uses

A fairly wind resistant tree, it can be grown as part of a shelterbelt planting[].
Wood - coarse-grained, tough, strong, very durable, difficult to split[, , ]. Rather weak according to other reports[, ]. It weighs 35lb per cubic foot[], and is used for furniture, chopping boards etc[, , , ]. Trunks of wild trees can be up to 4.5 metres in diameter and these were at one time hollowed out to make barges capable of carrying several tons of goods[].

Propagation

Seed - two months cold stratification improves germination[]. Sow spring in a cold frame in light shade[, ]. Home grown seed is often of poor quality and low viability. It is best to harvest the seed in late winter or spring and then sow it immediately in a cold frame[]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current years growth, 20 - 30 cm with a heel, autumn in a cold frame[]. Easy[].
Layering of stools in spring or autumn. Takes 12 months[].