The London plane

In all probability, the London plane, (Platanus x acerifolia), came into being in the middle of the seventeenth century. It is a hybrid; its parents are the Oriental plane, (Platanus orientalis), and the Western plane, (Platanus occidentalis). It is likely that it hybridised naturally rather than being created by horticulturists and it became popular as soon as it was available.

The London plane has fine properties as an urban tree as it copes well with heat and cold, wet and dry, and compaction of the soil around it and the pollutants generated by cities. Its shiny leaves are easily washed off by rain even if particles do come to rest on its smooth leaves; as it grows, its bark flakes off in small patches and exposes clean bark underneath. It's not known how old it may become because none is known to have died of old age; the oldest trees date from first plantings around 1660-80. The tallest London plane has achieved 48.5 metres in height, although the tallest plane trees in London have reached lesser heights, 30-35 metres.

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