Botanical Name: Platanus x acerifolia
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Common Name: London Planetree  
Plant photo of: Platanus x acerifolia
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Tree

 

Height Range

40-60', 60-100'

 

Flower Color

n/a

 

Flower Season

n/a

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey, Tan, White

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Fall

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium, High

 

Growth Rate

Fast

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

Messy

Design Styles

English Cottage

 

Accenting Features

Silhouette, Specimen

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Summer

 

Location Uses

Background, Park

 

Special Uses

Shade Tree

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Greg Applegate/Mullany

  • Description

  • Notes

London Planetree is a large, stately shade tree best suited to parks and other large areas. It has a strong central leader, horizontal branches, and large lobed leaves providing wonderful shade. Its outstanding feature is its platey, exfoliating bark, creating a mosaic of tans, browns and white. Fuzzy brown fruit appears in pairs, and ripens and falls in autumn, disintegrating into fluffy, downy tufts. Grows 60 to 100 feet tall and up to 60 feet wide. There are some fine examples in Liberty Park, casting much-needed shade during the hot summer months.
Grow in well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates light shade. Prefers rich, humusy, consistently moist soils. Generally tolerant of most urban pollutants.