If Trees Could Sing - Kim Richey & Sycamore
Kim Richey talks about the sycamore. © Bob Delavante

Stories in Tennessee

If Trees Could Sing: Kim Richey

Kim Richey talks about the sycamore and the benefits that trees provide us.

Kim Richey writes and sings thought-provoking, melodic pop music for adults. In the 1990s, she recorded three albums in Nashville that expanded the boundaries of country music. She has written songs recorded by a number of artists including Brooks & Dunn (“Every River”), Terri Clark (“I’m Alright”), and Trisha Yearwood (“Believe Me Baby I Lied”). Her newest album is Thorn in My Heart

More music artists talk about trees . . . 

Kim Richey Kim Richey talks about the sycamore tree for The Nature Conservancy's "If Trees Could Sing" video series.

Sycamore Facts

  • Scientific name: Platanus occidentalis
  • Range: throughout the East
  • Height: up to 100 feet tall
  • Width: the trunk can grow to 13 feet in diameter
  • Bark: distinctive peeling bark that exposes a light-gray or white trunk
  • Fruit: spiny round balls with a long stem, known as "buttonballs"
  • Fall colors: leaves turn yellow and brown

You Can Take Care of Trees Like the Sycamore

  • Plant in late fall or winter when the tree is dormant, unless the ground is frozen. 
  • Allow plenty of room for the tree to mature and grow.
  • Water regularly in its first three years.
  • Spread mulch around the base of the tree. 

Mighty Cool Tree Fact

Did you know... groves of trees in cities can cool the air by as much as 5 to 9 degrees?

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