please help me identify a tree

[elijahboy]

well i had a sample of the tree to bring home however my mom threw it off the truck before we left


i will try to describe it the best i can

the leaves look like maple leaves

the tree has a big trunk at the base but splits into three trees about a foot from the ground

there are no leaves on it at the moment but there are little balls (not spikey sweetgums) the things are softer and if you put any force to them the fall apart and its like there are little straight cotton fibers everywhere the color of caramel with a little long seed or something at the end of each clump of straight hairs

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

could you tell me how many lobes were on the leaf? was it 4 or more than that? also, what geographical region are you in? NE, South, mid-West, West?

 

[digitS']

Where have you found this tree, Elijah?

Give us a corner of the world . . .

Steve's digits

 

[damummis]

Or a pic................

 

[elijahboy]

its is in mid south carolina still a zone 8 i believe

i have no idea what a lobe is

this tree is at the other property about 1 1/2 hours away from the beach so its out of reach for about another 2 weeks

 

[elijahboy]

it better not be a species of one of those friggin sweet gums i have two in my backyard here and i cant stand them

 

[elijahboy]

i think i figured it out american sycamore

now if it is what can they be used for

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

ok, points on the leaves? a maple tree's leaf usually has 5 points.

 

[elijahboy]

i see these trees can be tapped so has anyone every done this with a sycamore

 

[journey11]

The way you describe the balls, I say definitely a sycamore. Are the limbs white with chunks of peeling tan bark as you look further up the trunk and out toward the top? If so, sycamore.