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The Father Tree against the sky, 28 Sept 2026
The Father Tree
Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore)
Next door's huge old sycamore, and the father of Ned, who self-seeded from it and grew up by our fence. It's not ours, but it looms over the garden, shelters half of it, and drops its helicopter seeds everywhere each autumn.
Taken in the evening light, with the sun peeking through the canopy.
- Common name
- The Father Tree
- Section
- Trees & shrubs
- Spot
- Next door (towering over the fence)
- Soil
- n/a
- Options
Potential
An established landscape tree, providing a large canopy and a source of seedling variation. Its scale makes it a garden feature rather than a container project.
- From
- Next door's tree
- Age
- Many decades old (a mature sycamore)
- Next repot
- Not ours to repot!
- Edible
- ❌ Not ours, and no.
- Hardy
- ✅ Fully
- Garden-centre price
- Priceless
Did you know?
Sycamore is the classic wood for the backs of violins.
🎮
Mega Drive moment
Pocahontas (Mega Drive)
Grandmother Willow is the wisest old tree on the Mega Drive. The Father Tree is her equal.
Look it up →