London Planetree (Platanus acerifolia)

Location and Notable Facts

  • Other names
    •  N/A
  • Scientific Family
    •  Platanaceae (Sycamore; Planetree)
  • Discovery
    • Discovered around 1640
  • Size (Width/Height/Growth/DBH)
    •  70 to 80 feet in height
  • Colors
    •  None
  • Bloom/Seed/Fruit
    •  Ball like seed hanging in pairs from long stalk unlike the American Sycamore having only one seed ball per stalk
    l.planttree3

    Photo credit to Arbor Day Foundation

  • Leaf Arrangement 
    •  Simple alternate 6 to 7-inch-wide leathery leaves having 3 to 5 lobes similar to maple

6119707610_5f16917e22_cPhoto credit to University of Redlands

  • Bark Arrangement 
    • Unique, gray-brown flaky scales that shed to expose mottled peeling patches of white, gray, and green.
    2-904Photo credit to Arbor Day Foundation
  • Invasive/Non-invasive
    •  Non-invasive
  • Native/Non-native
    •  Non-native
  • Pests/Disease
    • New varieties of London Plane Tree are better options for urban plantings due to their resistance to anthracnose.
  • Comparisons to similar trees
    • American Sycamore
  • Usefulness
    • Became widely planted in London and other major European cities because of its tolerance for urban pollution.
  • Local Location / History:  
    • Unknown