Illini 411: What do you know about that sycamore by the Main Library?

(Photo illustration by Dana Smith; Image by Rob Kanter)

A: Believe it or not, that sycamore is the oldest tree on campus. When the University opened in 1868, it consisted of nothing more than the original building, 10 marshy acres of farm ground and that tree, which was already well into maturity. For more than 150 years, the sycamore has fascinated and delighted generations of Illini, and not only because of its magisterial size. The weirdest, most beloved part of the tree is its huge, drooping limb, like a witch’s finger pointing students towards the Main Library. The limb is so sprawling and heavy, it requires steel cables to keep it aloft, and those cables are the only things preventing it from bonking passersby on their brilliant, Illinois-educated brains. So, don’t get too close!

Have questions about U of I history, traditions and legends?

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