Sycamine tree

The sycamine tree is mentioned once in the New Testament, in Jesus's saying about faith the size of a mustard seed: "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you" (Luke 17:6). The Greek word sykaminos is generally identified with the black mulberry (Morus nigra), a long-lived tree with an extraordinarily deep and tenacious root system — making the uprooting image particularly vivid. Some distinguish it from the sycamore-fig, though both grow in Palestine.

The mulberry tree was cultivated throughout Palestine and the Mediterranean world for its fruit and for its leaves, which were used to feed silkworms. Its deep roots and long lifespan made it a symbol of stability in the landscape, and the image of faith commanding such a tree underscores the limitless scope of genuine trust in God.