What attacks plane and sycamore: pests and diseases the sources name

This page reports what the named sources say. It is not a diagnosis of any tree and does not say what should be done with one. Each row names its source, all read on October 9, 2026. Where this site has a full profile, the row links it, and the status tables are on the linked pages and are not repeated here. The trees themselves are on the London plane page, the sycamore maple page and the American sycamore page. A naming trap: in North America plane trees (Platanus) are called sycamores, while in the United Kingdom sycamore means only Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple, so a row below for one tree is not a row for the other.

Plane trees (Platanus)

Agent	What the sources record
Anthracnose of plane, Apiognomonia veneta. Full profile	Kind: Fungus of leaves, twigs and buds Hosts: Forest Research says western plane (American sycamore) is highly susceptible, oriental plane is fairly tolerant, and London plane varies. Its London plane entry says plane trees are commonly affected and that the disease mostly causes only shoot and leaf death, though the effects can sometimes be severe. Where and status: Present in Britain, first recorded there in 1815. Forest Research lists it as not notifiable and says it is not necessary to report suspected cases.
Canker stain of plane, Ceratocystis platani. Full profile	Kind: Fungus that stains the water-carrying wood Hosts: Plane trees. The London plane entry says it has caused considerable damage to plane trees in several European countries, including the avenue along the Canal du Midi in France. The Woodland Trust lists it as a threat to London plane. Where and status: Forest Research lists Albania, Armenia, France, Greece, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey, and some states of the United States. It lists the disease as notifiable and not thought to be present in the United Kingdom.
Plane lace bug, Corythucha ciliata. Full profile	Kind: Sap-feeding insect Hosts: Forest Research lists London plane, oriental plane and American sycamore as the main hosts. It says the insect does not attack the sycamore maple. Where and status: Forest Research says it was first found in the United Kingdom in 2006 at a nursery in Bedfordshire. The page does not call it notifiable and welcomes records.
Massaria disease, Splanchnonema platani. Profile in the decay fungi group	Kind: Fungus of bark and cambium on branches Hosts: Forest Research says it attacks the bark and cambium on the branches of London plane and causes sudden branch breakage. Where and status: The London plane entry says both canker stain and Massaria are notifiable and that suspected cases in mainland Britain go to TreeAlert.

Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)

Agent	What the sources record
Sooty bark disease, Cryptostroma corticale. Full profile	Kind: Fungus Hosts: Forest Research calls it a fungal disease of maple that causes rapid wilting and death, particularly in sycamore, the most commonly reported host in the United Kingdom. Its sycamore entry says it becomes evident after prolonged hot weather and causes partial or total wilting of the crown. Where and status: Forest Research asks for suspected cases on Acer to be reported through TreeAlert. It reports that in Austria the disease was linked to infection of 60% of sycamores in one forestry stand north of Vienna.
Tar spot, Rhytisma acerinum. Full profile	Kind: Leaf fungus Hosts: The Forest Research sycamore entry lists tar spot and leaf spot (Cristularia depraedans) as frequent foliar pathogens, all considered conspicuous but relatively unimportant. Where and status: No status is given on the sycamore entry.
Phytophthora and Verticillium wilt	Kind: Root pathogen and vascular wilt fungus Hosts: The sycamore entry calls these two, with sooty bark, potentially more damaging than the foliar diseases. It gives no further detail. This site covers Phytophthora root rots from other sources. Where and status: No status is given on the sycamore entry.
Horse chestnut scale, Pulvinaria regalis	Kind: Scale insect Hosts: Forest Research calls it one of the most conspicuous pests of sycamore, generally a problem of trees under stress from lack of water or nutrients. Where and status: No status is given on the sycamore entry.
Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis. Full profile	Kind: Wood-boring beetle Hosts: In Forest Research's account of the 2012 outbreak in Kent, sycamore was the most frequent host: 26% of sycamores in the area were attacked, 70% of the larvae found were in sycamore and 98% of the adults found had emerged from sycamore trees. Where and status: Forest Research lists it as not present in the United Kingdom and notifiable.
Grey squirrel bark stripping	Kind: Mammal damage Hosts: Forest Research says the main issue with growing sycamore as a forest crop is squirrels, that the grey squirrel has a marked preference for sycamore over most other broadleaves, and that a crop can be severely damaged from an early age. Where and status: Britain.

How the sources describe the effects

Forest Research describes plane anthracnose as mostly killing shoots and leaves, while canker stain and Massaria are the two it flags as potentially very damaging on plane in Britain, the first by staining the water-carrying wood and wilting the leaves and the second by sudden branch breakage. For sycamore maple it separates the conspicuous but relatively unimportant leaf diseases from the ones it calls potentially more damaging: sooty bark, Phytophthora and Verticillium wilt. It also notes that sycamore regenerates freely, so the pest list sits beside a tree it calls easy to establish.

Who the sources say to report to

Forest Research asks for suspected canker stain, Massaria, sooty bark and Asian longhorned beetle cases in Great Britain to be sent through TreeAlert, and says reporting anthracnose is not necessary. The offices for each country are on the report a pest in the United Kingdom page.

What attacks plane and sycamore: pests and diseases the sources name

Plane trees (Platanus)

Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)

How the sources describe the effects

Who the sources say to report to

Sources