London plane - KPU Plant DB

Scientific Name:

Platanus x acerifolia ( syn. P. x hispanica )

Pronunciation:

PLAT-an-us ay-ser-ih-FOH-lee-a

Common Name:

London plane

Family Name:

Platanaceae

Plant Type:

Tree - deciduous

Key ID Features:

Leaves alternate, maple-like with 3 major toothed lobes; petiole has hollow end that hides bud. Winter ID: fruit a 4cm round fuzzy ball with achenes eventally shedding off; buds red, smooth, 5mm long; bark exfoliating, looks like army camouflage; branches zig-zag.

Habit:

Irregular, Open, Spreading

Form:

Columnar, Round

Texture:

Coarse

Mature Height:

22 - 30m

Mature Spread:

15 - 25m

Growth Rate:

Fast

Origin:

Garden origin (P. orientalis × P. occidentalis)

Hardiness Rating:

Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)

Exposure:

Full sun

Soil/Growing Medium:

Well-drained

Water Use:

Moderate

Landscape Uses:

Shade tree, Specimen plant, Street (boulevard tree)

Additional Info:

Google. Also widely known as P. x hispanica (and many autorites have dropped the 'x' in the scientific name). Some images are of P. ‘Bloodgood’ (smaller group of trees in TFL).

Leaf Morphology:

Glossary

Form:

Simple, Lobed

Arrangement:

Alternate

Texture/Venation:

Soft flexible, Palmate venation

Surfaces:

Glabrous

Colour in Fall:

Yellow, Brown

Shapes:

Ovate

Apices:

Acute

Bases:

Cordate, Truncate

Margins:

Dentate, Palmately lobed

Inflorescence Type:

Spike, Head-like

Flower Morphology:

Monoecious plant

Number Of Petals:

0

Colour (petals):

Not showy, Green

Flower Time at Peak:

Jun, Jul

Fruit Type:

Achene, Multiple fruit

Fruit Colour:

Brown

Fruiting Time:

Sep, Oct

Additional Info:

Not showy, Round cluster of achenes with sterile seed (locally, these balls often fall off the tree as a unit so they can also be considered a multiple fruit)