Sycamore tree - why are they monsters?

Hi there,

Sorry, I seem to be posting a lot today. Following on from my Acer post earlier, Sycamore trees were mentioned. I have been doing some research and I have popped outside to have a closer look at my large Acer and it seems as if there is a very old and decaying 'wing' which looks like a Sycamore seed. Guessing this is from when I loved at my old address which I moved from at Christmas.

It is very concieveable that these are not Acer's from my large tree but Sycamore trees, and I was wondering why they are considered to be monsters, as suggested in my previous post, as I dont want to be growing monsters. 

Thanks again and sorry for all the posts.

Amy

In a domestic garden you do not want a sycamore-my neighbour has one that must be 40 foot high that shades the garden on the other side.

Seedlings appear everywhere and if they go unnoticed and get growing they are a devil to remove-a bit like leylandii, you do not want one any near you garden

Incidentally having looked at you pictures I don't think you have acer seedlings -they look like something completely different to me.

My neighbour has Norway Maples - very similar to sycamore. Once I pulled out 72 seedlings in approx a 20 sq. yard section of my garden. So my advice too, Amy, is avoid!

Guess I feel a little bit silly that I thought I had some more Acers. I shall be making sure that I pull them all out and pop them in the bin. Thanks for the help and advice.

I shall see if I have more luck with the Veg growing, or if I should hang up my green fingered hat. x

So the mystery may have been solved! Not in the way you hoped, but the mummy plant does look rather attractive.

I agree the 'mummy plant' is rather attractive, but never the less a 40 - 60' weed. Same as the ash in my book. Lovely in the right place. I got a few over the plot and what a pain with the seedling I missed. Like growing in the middle of a prized geranium or a group of rheum crowns. 

Just to be sure, post another photo when the leaves have fully opened. I just can't write off the possibility that the parent is not the same as the seedlings, if only because I find it so bizarre that someone should go to the trouble of cultivating sycamore seeds for an employer living in a mansion, and then go to the trouble of digging them up and taking them home when he lost his job.  Or maybe that might explain why he lost his job???

Amy S, don't ever feel silly. We all make mistakes, in fact we all carry on making them, just different ones the next time! Enjoy your garden and have fun with it.

FloBear

Just to echo FloBear's comment, yesterday I hacked back a lovely Japanese Quince to ground level after the top got killed by the cold winter.I was about to dig the root out when I noticed buds starting to appear on several of the pruned branches. I scraped back the bark and it was juicy green. I was SO sure it was dead. I haven't told OH what I discovered, but I'll know next time. 

 I think another thing about sycamore is that it's not a very good habitat for wildlife, compared with many other broad-leaved trees.

And I agree the keys and seedling can be a real pest. We once lived near a park and our front lawn was always peppered with seedling sycamores that had to be weeded out regularly.