Western Soapberry
Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii Medium tree Zones 5–9 20–50 ft
Shares stream banks, floodplain forests and rocky ground in the wild.
A native we do not grow
Arizona Sycamore
Platanus wrightii. Large tree, 80 feet where planted, zones 7 to 10; full sun or part shade; average or wet ground.
We do not grow Arizona sycamore, and it is not in our shop. This page gathers what our tools say about it and the natives we grow for the same ground.
At a glance
| Other names | Arizona planetree, Wright's sycamore |
|---|---|
| Form | Large tree |
| Height, feet | 80 where planted; up to 82 in its native stands |
| Spread, feet | Up to 50 |
| Zones | 7 to 10 |
| Sun | Full sun or part shade |
| Soil moisture | Average or wet ground |
| Growth | Fast |
| Leaves | Deciduous |
| Traits | Fall color, wildlife value, winter interest, erosion control |
| Flowers | March to May |
| Fruit | Seed balls, October to March |
| Pollination | Needs a second, unrelated tree. Male and female flowers grow on the same tree, and the wind carries the pollen between trees. A lone sycamore sets few filled seeds from its own pollen, so plant a second one nearby. |
| Lifespan | Can live 235 years. |
| Black walnut | Not named on the Morton Arboretum's lists |
| Ground | Stream banks, floodplain forests and rocky ground |
| Native in | 2 states |
Arizona sycamore is native in 2 states: Arizona and New Mexico. The states are the USDA PLANTS Database's records, with the native range read from the Fire Effects Information System, the Flora of North America and the Wildflower Center.
What our tools say
How fast it grows and how big it gets, by site Whether it suits your zone, sun and soil How far from a house, wires and a septic field What grows with it in the wild and in a yard When to plant it where you live When it flowers and fruits, month by month How to sow its seed, with dates for your place How many to plant for a crop of seed Whether one you have can be moved, and what the move takes How old one is, from its trunk How a big one scores against the champion trees
For the same ground, we grow
These trees we grow share the most of Arizona sycamore's natural communities in the wild, by the companion species tool's rules.
Peachleaf Willow
Salix amygdaloides Medium tree Zones 2–8 35–60 ft
Shares stream banks and floodplain forests in the wild.
Common Hoptree (Wafer Ash)
Ptelea trifoliata Small tree Zones 4–9 10–20 ft
Shares stream banks and rocky ground in the wild.
Gum Bumelia
Sideroxylon lanuginosum Small tree Zones 5–10 15–45 ft
Shares stream banks and rocky ground in the wild.
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana Small tree Zones 2–10 20–30 ft
Shares stream banks and rocky ground in the wild.
Little Walnut
Juglans microcarpa Small tree Zones 5–9 20–30 ft
Shares stream banks and rocky ground in the wild.
Read from
Its figures come from the Forest Service's Fire Effects Information System, the USDA PLANTS Database, the Flora of North America, SEINet, the Wildflower Center, Cal Poly's SelecTree, New Mexico State University Extension, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and Western North American Naturalist.