Platanus hispanica

Platanus hispanica Details

Platanus hispanica, commonly known as the London Plane Tree, is a large, deciduous tree grown for its foliage, stature, and showy fruits. The foliage is lush, dark green, and develops a yellow-orange colour before falling in autumn. A distinctive feature of this tree is the brown bark which is shed to reveal a cream-white inner bark resulting in a trunk with a somewhat mottled appearance. Small flowers are produced in spring with male flowers being yellow and female flowers red. The female flowers result in fuzzy, green balls containing seeds. These persist on the tree into early winter and gradually change to a brown colour. It grows with a broad crown to about 25 m tall and 20 m wide and can be trimmed as necessary. It grows best when planted in full sun on a well-drained site, and is tolerant of frost, cool climates, urban pollution, and moderate wind. Platanus hispanica makes a fantastic shade tree and is commonly grown as a specimen in large gardens or parks, or used in an avenue planting.