London Plane Tree

The London Plane tree is a large deciduous tree that typically reaches a height of 20-30 meters, occasionally up to 40 meters, with a trunk circumference of 3 meters or more. The bark is light gray, smooth and exfoliating, or darker and non-exfoliating. The leaves are palmately lobed, resembling those of the maple tree. In spring, the young leaves are covered with a very fine down which is lost as the leaf grows. The flowers are concentrated in two dense, spherical inflorescences, separated between male and female. The fruits ripen in six months, are 2-3 cm in diameter, and consist of an achene with numerous hairs that aid in their airborne dispersal. It is among the plants most commonly used in cities as it tolerates pollution well and helps to reduce it.