Solved Tree with sycamore like leaves

My former neighbour planted this in our common garden without saying what it is. I am wondering in particular how big it will grow. I am also wondering why the leaves are tinged with brown.

 

The leaves are probably going brown as it's the end of summer and we're heading into autumn. Six months of being battered by winds, attacked by insects and fungi and then baked in the sun would be enough to make most things go brown at the edges. In my garden leaves are starting to change colour and fall off.
It looks like a sycamore or relative and so could get large quickly, you don't say when it was planted.
I think I would get it out.

 

I am not bothered. It is in the middle of a huge lawn and would be a good feature. Space isn't a problem. I think it is non-native as the bark on the tree has a very rubbery look. Definitely not like any sycamore I have seen. The brownness has been there all year.

 

I'm thinking one of the snake bark maples, does it have a striped bark?

 

Looks like a very special Acer.
Possibly Acer Davidii.
Nothing like Sycamore..much slower.

Please do not do as NigelJ suggests.


acer davidii - Google Search

 

I think you are right. It does look rather like the pictures here:
Acer capillipes Tree

My neighbour's other choice for a tree was an Indian bean tree which turned out rather well and better than my idea of birch.

 

Silver surfer is almost certainly right and if you have the space then enjoy it. I have a considerable antipathy towards sycamores and some of their relatives, pulling up hundreds of seedlings every year and removing saplings from fences. As one end of my garden adjoins a piece of scrub that is overrun with them.

 

Agree with you NigelJ.

Ash are just as bad...but up here in a few more years there will sadly be none left

 

I remember years ago trying to grow a snakebark from seed I collected.
Never got a result, I concluded they might be sterile or at the least not many fertile seeds are set.

Another tree I really like the indian bean, catalpa.
Wish I had the space to grow it properly and have it flower, I have to cut mine back hard every winter, but I do get massive growth and very large leaves that way.

 

I had a couple of snakebarks - capilipes and davidii I think, But to be honest, as they grew bigger, the main trunk became much less interesting and more 'even' in colour. However they did set plenty of fertile seed so I passed on a few. I much prefer a. griseum which stays gorgeous. The catalpa IMHO is nicer in the aurea form though mine did suffer from alarming die back.

 

Yeah Ive seen that one woo.