The Facts
Tree Type: The London Plane is a hybrid, crossing a sycamore with an oriental plane tree. It has broad leaves with five lobes (a bit like a maple) and produces round bobbly seeds. The bark of the tree, especially on the branches, appears to be in patches of different shades, giving it a strangely camouflage look.
Location: As the name suggests, they are strongly associated with London, where they often seen in the squares and parks or lining the avenues. In fact they are widespread across Europe, particularly in cities, as they seem to survive well in polluted environments.
Ecology: The trees are long-lived, and can grow to almost 50m tall. They are resilient to large swings in temperature (but like hot summers), compacted soil and air pollution, making them ideal for cities.
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The Legends
Nobody knows who created the hybrid, or who introduced it to Britain. The oldest known London Plane is at the Bishop’s Palace in Ely, planted in 1680. Experts say that no London Plane has yet died of natural old age, so we don’t actually know their maximum lifespan yet.
By the 18th century they were being planted in large numbers in cities. The bark of the London Plane flakes off easily, revealing new bark underneath and creating the camouflage effect. The shedding of the bark helps the tree cope with polluted and sooty air which would otherwise choke it. One estimate suggests 15% of all New York's street trees are London Planes.
In Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities the house of Dr. Manette in London has a large plane tree in the garden, which is the location of many key scenes.
