Send an E-Postcard of:
Sunderland, Mass. The Old Button Ball Tree

(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
Contact us for information about using this image.

This ancient Sycamore, also known as a buttonball tree, may be as old as the United States Constitution. American Sycamores are indigenous plants, typically found in floodplain forests. This enormous sycamore, standing nearly 113' high, with a girth of 24'7" and a spread of 140', is a remnant of Sunderland's forests. Because of their longevity, during the 18th century sycamores were sometimes planted at the door of new house for newlyweds as "bride and groom" trees. The Sunderland sycamore still stands along historic Main Street. The house to the right is a reminder that Sunderland's economy once depended on farming.

top of page