Last year we had hundreds of sycamore seedlings appear – was it a particularly good year for all sycamore trees?
PIPPA SAYS It sounds as if you now have what amounts to a miniature sycamore forest in your garden! I have certainly seen noticeable variations in the production and germination of tree seeds, particularly in oaks and beeches. I’ve noticed it less with sycamores, but I don’t have them so close to my house.
Variations are largely caused by two factors: the weather pattern within a given year and the tree’s health. There is a tendency for trees to produce a particularly large crop of seeds when they’re not well, a sort of ‘swan song’ as they attempt to ensure they leave plenty of offspring.
In your case, you say there are two sycamore trees that performed in the same way, and as you didn’t mention any sign of ill health, I suspect it is, like so many things, down to the weather!