Quercus

American Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

45CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Platanus

  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Ancylis divisanaTwo-Toned Ancylis
  • Ancylis platananaSycamore Leafroller
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
  • Conchylodes ovulalisZebra Conchylodes
Show all 45
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eupsilia vinulentaStraight-Toothed Sallow
  • Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
  • Gelechia albisparsellaX
  • Halysidota harrisiiHarris's Tussock Moth, Sycamore Tussock Moth
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Isochaetes beutenmuelleriSpun Glass Slug
  • Lithophane signosaSycamore Pinion, Signate Pinion
  • Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
  • Macrurocampa marthesiaMottled Prominent
  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
  • Misogada unicolorDrab Prominent
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
  • Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
  • Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
  • Pococera militellaSycamore Webworm
  • Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Scolecocampa liburnaDead-Wood Borer
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Tortricidia pallidaRed-Cross Button Slug
  • Adoxophyes furcatana
  • Ectoedemia clemensella
  • Ectoedemia platanella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Platanus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Platanaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow, green or red
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

American Sycamore; Plane Tree; Sycamore

Conservation status

Kentucky rankS5
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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