How to Grow and Care for London Planetree
| Botanical Name | Platanus × acerifolia |
| Common Name | London planetree, London plane, hybrid p ... |
| Plant Type | Deciduous tree |
| Mature Size | 75 to 100 feet tall and 60 to 75 feet wi ... |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun to part shade |
What are London’s most common trees?
A real city slicker, the London plane is the capital’s most common tree. As a hybrid of American sycamore and Oriental plane, it was first discovered in the 17th century then widely planted in the 18th. London plane produces green, spiky fruits, which develop in clusters.
What is a London plane tree used for?
Uses of London plane London plane is valued for its ability to adapt to urban conditions and its resistance to pollution, and is therefore widely planted as a street tree in large cities, particularly London. The wood used to be popular for making veneers, as it is an attractive golden-brown colour with dark brown flecks.
What does the bark of a London plane tree look like?
The bark on London plane trees is very attractive. It is silvery taupe but flakes off in patches to create a camouflage pattern, revealing the olive green or cream-colored inner bark. The fruits are also ornamental, tan spikey balls that hang in groups from stalks.
What is London Planetree used for?
The London planetree most often is used in urban landscapes where a very large tree is desired. It has excellent tolerance for air pollution and is a common choice in large city parks and other public lands. It also works well for medians and planting strips because the roots can handle small spaces with soil compaction.
What type of soil does London Planetree like?
Although it can adapt to most growing conditions, the London planetree does best in rich, deep, well-draining soil. It grows in loamy , sandy, and clay soil types. And it can handle acidic and alkaline pH levels, as well as some soil compaction.
How does London Planetree propagate?
Propagating London Planetree. Propagation is carried out either through cuttings or via seeds that break off and spread from its fruit balls. Grafting is used to preserve the traits of cultivated varieties.
When was the London Planetree hybridized?
Varieties of London Planetree. The hybridization of the London planetree is thought to have occurred accidentally sometime during the 17th century in either Spain or London when the American sycamore and Oriental planetree were planted close to one another. Since then, several cultivars have been developed.
How big are London plane leaves?
Its green leaves are around four to nine inches wide with three to five lobes, and its fall foliage is a rather plain yellow-brown.
Do London Planetrees need fertilizer?
But if the tree is planted in a fertile area with room to spread, it likely will not require much fertilizer. Test soil samples to know for sure.
Can London Planetrees survive a winter?
The tree can be amenable to a particularly hot summer, as long as its soil remains moist. And it can withstand a harsh winter, though it might sustain some cold injuries.
London Plane Tree Leaves
Leaves on a London plane tree are identified as attractive light to dark green leaves with three to five pointed lobes. Visually, a planetree leaf looks like a maple leaf or sycamore tree leaf. The large, pointed leaves with toothed margins measure 7” (17 cm) long and up to 10” (25 cm) wide.
London Plane Tree Bark
The bark on a London plane tree makes it easily recognizable in a landscape. The bark on a London plane tree has a distinctive gray mottled appearance that develops when it exfoliates, revealing white, brown, and creamy yellow colors. This distinctive camouflage pattern makes it easy to identify a London plane tree from a distance.
London Plane Tree Flowers
Flowers growing on a London plane tree bloom in early spring. The ball-shaped catkins of tiny red or greenish-yellow flowers form pendulous balls dangling in clusters of two or three. Each spherical flower head measures around 1” (2.5 cm) in diameter. The catkins measure 1.6” – 3.2” (4 – 8 cm) long.
London Plane Tree Fruit
Fruit from a London plane tree is brown seed balls dangling in clusters from fall, throughout the winter until spring. The spiky fruits on a planetree form a dense cluster of seeds (achenes) with a fuzzy appearance that stays on branches in winter. Seed dispersal is by the wind that carries the downy tufts long distances.
London Plane Tree Identification
The easiest way to identify a London plane tree is to look at the bark and leaf shape. The planetree has a distinctive mottled bark with a gray, white, yellow, and brown camouflage-style pattern. Large maple-like leaves with pointed margins are the other identifying feature of a London plane tree.
London Planetree vs. Sycamore
You can tell the difference between a London plane tree and a sycamore tree is by looking at the bark, leaves, and flowers.
London Plane Tree Cultivars
Several London plane cultivars have been developed to be more disease-resistant and hardy in urban conditions. Also, some planetree cultivars have attractive variegated foliage.
What is the London plane tree?
The London plane tree was described for the first time in the 17 Century (in Spain). It is assumed that it is a hybrid of the Oriental Plane (Platanus orientalis) with the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis).
How big are the leaves of a London plane tree?
leaf: The leaves of the London plane tree are three-to five-lobed and up to 25 cm (9.8 in) broad. They are deep green and yellow in autumn. The leaf base is often straight.
What is the wood of a maple leafed sycamore?
The wood of the maple-leaved plane tree. The maple-leaved sycamore has a light sapwood and a reddish heartwood. The wood can be worked very well and is preferably used as veneer or wood turner. Mainly the wood is used in interior design, but is also used as firewood in use.
How big are the buds on a maple leaf sycamore?
The winter buds of the maple-leaved sycamore can only be seen after the leaf fall. The ten-millimeter-sized buds surround an annular leaf scar. The reddish-brown buds are very large and have a slightly bent tip.
How tall do maple leaf plane trees grow?
The maple-leaved plane tree is of broad-crowned growth and can grow up to 40 meters in height. Strong branches are formed on the relatively short trunk. The bark is yellow to gray-brown and dissolves into plates annually, which causes the characteristic pattern of trunk and branches.
When was the maple leaf sycamore tree created?
The maple-leaved sycamore or ordinary sycamore belongs to the family of the sycamore family and was created in the mid-17th century by the crossing of Oriental sycamore and American sycamore. The maple-leaved shape of the plane tree is extremely robust and is a popular street tree tolerating exhaust and polluted air in many countries.
Is a maple leaf sycamore monoecious?
The maple-leaved sycamore is a monoecious, single-sexed plant. The flowers appear together with the foliage, about the beginning of May. Most of the flowers are in pairs on the kitty. While the male flowers are quite small and appear greenish-yellow, the crimson female flowers are more eye-catching.
When was the London tree first planted?
Planting of the new hybrid across London started in the late 18th century and nowadays it is the most common tree in London, both as a street tree and in city parks.
How tall does the London plane tree grow?
London plane produces green, spiky fruits, which develop in clusters. It can grow to 35m in height. Its leaves are similar to that of the sycamore. They are leathery and thick, with five triangular lobes. These trees can live for several hundred years. Their leaves turn a rich orange-yellow before falling in autumn.
What is the most common tree in the capital?
A real city slicker, the London plane is the capital’s most common tree. As a hybrid of American sycamore and Oriental plane, it was first discovered in the 17th century then widely planted in the 18th.
What is the London plane?
The London plane is thought to be a cross between the Oriental plane and the American sycamore. Birds, such as rooks, nest in London plane. London plane produces green, spiky fruits, which develop in clusters. It can grow to 35m in height.
Why is the London plane important?
Uses of London plane. London plane is valued for its ability to adapt to urban conditions and its resistance to pollution , and is therefore widely planted as a street tree in large cities, particularly London.
What color is the bark of a spruce tree?
The bark is olive green to grey, with large scaly plates that peel off to reveal a creamy bark beneath. Young twigs are green-brown. Look out for: the multi-coloured bark which has a camouflage-style pattern. Identified in winter by: the catkins which are spherical and hang down from the tree on long stems.
What percentage of trees were in London in 1920?
By the 1920’s around 60 per cent of trees in London were London planes. This has now fallen to an estimated 4 per cent in central London and even lower on the outskirts.
What is the London plane?
The London plane is one of the most iconic tree species in London, but we don’t know its exact origins. One thing is certain, without the accidental hand of man it would never exist. You could think of it as an unforeseen result of the meeting of two immigrant trees from the far corners of the plant world. During the age of European exploration of ...
What is the threat of plane tree wilt?
The fungus was accidentally introduced from the eastern United States through a number of southern European ports during World War II on infected crating material, and spread rapidly through Italy and into Switzerland and France.
Where did the London plane come from?
According to the Woodland Trust, the London plane’s parents were the oriental plane and the American plane, which come from two different continents on the opposite sides of the world. It is thought they hybridised naturally in Spain ...
When were the London planes first planted?
The oldest London planes date from first plantings around 1660-80. The oldest living examples are at Buckden, Robert Sanderson, (Bishop of Lincoln 1660-1663), is said to have been presented with two London planes; both are still growing healthily. At Ely, Peter Gunning, (Bishop of Ely 1675-1684), also planted gifts of trees, ...
Is the plane tree spreading in the UK?
The Forestry Commmission. As far as we know plane tree wilt hasn’t reached the UK, but it is spread by human activity and so perhaps the heavy hand of history and human action that helped to create the London plane tree may ultimately also be its undoing.
How tall are London plane trees?
London plane trees grow wild in Europe and are increasingly cultivated in the United States. These are tall, sturdy, easy-grow trees that can get to 100 feet (30 m.) tall and 80 feet (24 m.) wide. The trunks of London plane trees are straight, while the spreading branches droop slightly, ...
What is a plane tree?
Plane trees, also called London plane trees, are natural hybrids that developed in the wild in Europe. In French, the tree is called “platane à feuilles d’érable,” meaning platane tree with maple leaves. The plane tree is a member of the sycamore family and bears the scientific name Platanus x acerifolia. It is a tough, hardy tree with a lovely straight trunk and green leaves that are lobed like the leaves of oak trees. Read on for more plane tree information.
Is London plane tree hardy?
London Plane Tree Growing. London plane tree growing is not difficult if you live in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9a. The tree grows in almost any soil – acidic or alkaline, loamy, sandy or clay. It accepts wet or dry soil.
Do plane trees need water?
If you plant London plane trees, you’ll need to provide water for the first growing season, until the root system develops. But plane tree care is minimal once the tree is mature. This tree survives extended flooding and is highly drought tolerant. Some gardeners consider it a nuisance, since the big leaves do not decompose quickly.
Do plane trees grow in full sun?
Plane tree information suggests that plane trees grow best in full sun, but they also thrive in partial shade. The trees are easy to propagate from cuttings, and European farmers make hedgerow s by thrusting trimmed branches into the soil along property lines.
How tall do London plane trees grow?
London plane trees can grow up to 100 feet (30 m.) in height with a canopy spread the same. This enormous size makes for a sizable root system. Unfortunately, as with many trees that mature and reach their potential height, London plane tree root problems become obvious.
What are the problems with plane tree roots?
About Plane Tree Root Problems. The problem with plane tree roots should not be blamed on the tree. The tree is doing what it has been prized for: growing. London plane trees are valued for their ability to thrive in urban settings in cramped quarters surrounded by concrete, lack of light, and assaulted by water that is tainted with salt, ...
Can a tree grow if it is damaged?
If the tree remains healthy, it will only continue to grow, and so will its roots.
