Sycamore-Plantanus occidentalis

Ponder This:

Sycamore

Sycamore trees are one of the oldest tree species on earth. Some of the oldest and largest trees in the nation are sycamores. The sycamore tree has special meaning for folks from Indiana. The sycamore is held in such high regard by Hoosiers that it is the only tree mentioned in our state song and the Hoosier standard “Back Home Again in Indiana.”

It is an uncommon tree. Its bark isn’t the rigid skin that forms a barrier but rather a loose fitting covering that is at times easily shrugged off exposing the wood underneath. That makes the tree open to all sorts of insects and larger animals who hollow out their home, eventually weakening the tree from within.

Most of us, probably all of us, should have great empathy for the sycamore. We have parts of our lives that have been invaded. Without asking permission and almost without our knowledge we move through life as a host to temptations that make us weaker, even hollow.

The Bible tells us that when we become a Christian, we “lay aside the old self” and “put on all of God’s armor.” We put on a new covering that doesn’t allow the “the devil’s evil plans” to enter. As you stand before this sycamore you will see some of the bark peeling away. Let it serve as a reminder that in this life we are in a fight, always being tempted, and only through God’s grace do we have the power to resist.

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Sycamore-Platanus occidentalis, also known as American Sycamore, American Planetree, Western Plane, Occidental Plane, Buttonwood, and Water Beech. It is the most massive tree indigenous to eastern North America, growing up to 90 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 10 feet. It produces spherical, bumpy fruit delightfully filled with fuzzy seeds. Its smooth peeling bark is cream, light green and brown. These trees make handsome shade trees for large landscapes. The most striking feature of the tree is the bark that has a camouflage pattern composed of gray-brown outer bark that peels off in patches to reveal the light gray or white wood beneath. Timber has been used to make dugout canoes and furniture, and medicinal tea is made from inner bark to treat colds and coughs. The Sycamore itself has been mentioned several times throughout the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, having been noted as one of the “Plants of the Bible”. The Sycamore is in the same family as the Common Fig tree, and figs are one of the seven native species of Israel. The tree symbolizes protection, divinity, eternity and strength in the Bible.