Field ManualAll plants

Mexican sycamore
Platanus mexicana Moric.
Family: Platanaceae
Pet & Human Safety
People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
ASPCA has no page for this species. Do not treat it as safe for pets.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonCare
- Hardiness zones
Not checked yet
- Light
Full sun per the Celaya sheet; CONABIO says seeds germinate best in high light.
- Water needs
The level is a plain-language reading of the source wording cited. Always finger-test two inches down.
- Mature size
CONABIO: 15-25 m tall (up to 40 m), trunk 80-100 cm across (up to 1.5 m). Flora del Bajio: 15-25 (35) m tall. Celaya sheet: height about 5-10 m (decoded)
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
Get the app: coming soonAnatomy & Guilds
Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
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Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonVintage Plates
Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonSources
- CONABIO / CONAFOR - Paquete tecnologico: Platanus mexicana Moric. (PDF, pp. 214-215)
- Flora del Bajio y de regiones adyacentes, fasc. 23 (1994) - Carranza G., Platanaceae
- Municipio de Celaya, Guanajuato - Paleta vegetal (PDF, 2025), sheet for Platanus mexicana (PDF pages 241-242)
- Kew POWO/WCVP - accepted-name record
- ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list