California sycamore
Platanus racemosa

Family: Platanaceae.

Type: Large deciduous tree.

Branching: Alternate.

Leaves: Palmately lobed, with usually 3-5 lobes that are fairly deep. The lobes of the sycamore are smoother than those of maples. The underside of the leaves are slightly hairy, and the hairs have a rusty orange cast to them in the right light (supposedly, but I couldn't see it).

Twig: The bark of the sycamore is white to green, puzzle-pieced, and peels off from the bottom. It is extremely distinctive.

Fruit & Flower: Fruits are little brown balls that hang down in a series along a strand, like a poodle's tail (visible below in the last photo, just below the center of the photo).

Miscellaneous: A non-native sycamore with less deeply lobed leaves is commonly planted. The native sycamores are susceptible to a fungal infection that can cause them to drop their leaves in mid-summer; the non-native sycamore is less susceptible to this. Hybridization between the native and non-native species is common. Sycamores are monoecious (separate male and female flowers on the same plant). Sycamore has burls (like redwoods and bay) that it can resprout from, and can also sprout from its root collar.