The Buttonball Tree

The Buttonball Tree, Sunderland MA. Photo taken by Ophelia W. Ravenia, April 2022

The last time I visited the Buttonball Tree was back in April of 2022. However, this iconic tree is a sight to behold, and well-worth a pit stop if you happen to be passing through Sunderland, Massachusetts.

While “buttonball” is often used generically as a term for sycamore (due to the wood’s historic use as a materiel for button-making) the status of this one sycamore specimen has earned it the title of The Buttonball Tree. It is among the largest trees east of the Mississippi River and is the single largest tree in Massachusetts. The Buttonball Tree measures roughly 25' wide at the trunk, 114' tall, and with a canopy spread over 143'. It is estimated to be over 350 years old.

The Buttonball Tree, Sunderland MA. Photo taken by Ophelia W. Ravenia, April 2022

Marker in front of The Buttonball Tree.
Text on the marker reads: “1787-1987; The National Arborist Association and The International Society of Arboriculture jointly recognize this significant tree in this bicentennial year as having lived her at the time of the signing of our constitution.”
Photo taken by Ophelia W. Ravenia, April 2022

The Buttonball Tree is located along North Main Street near the center of Sunderland, Massachusetts. For GPS directions, it can be found in front of 133 North Main Street, Sunderland, MA.

 

Further information on The Buttonball Tree and the historic uses of American Sycamore can be found here:
https://www.townofsunderland.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif3891/f/uploads/tree_trifold_oct_2008_2_0.pdf