Platanus x hispanica (London Plane)

Common Name: London Plane

Platanicus x hispanica, commonly known as London Plane, is a hybrid of American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and Oriental Plane (Platanus orientalis); it was first discovered in the 17th century then widely planted in the 18th.

It can grow to 35m in height and live for several hundred years. The bark is olive green to grey, with large scaly plates that peel off to reveal a creamy bark beneath, giving a sort of 'camouflage' pattern. Young twigs are green-brown.

Identified in winter by the catkins which are spherical and hang down from the tree on long stems. After pollination by wind, female flowers develop into spiky fruits, comprising a dense cluster of seeds with stiff hairs, which aid dispersal by wind. The fruits slowly break up over winter to release their seeds. The leaf buds are round and have two to three scales with a leaf scar almost surrounding the bud.

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