Platanus orientalis

Platanus orientalis (15/08/2015, Kew Gardens, London)

Position: Full sun

Flowering period: Late spring

Soil: Moist, well drained

Eventual Height: 30m

Eventual Spread: 30m

Hardiness: 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a

Family: Platanaceae

Platanus orientalis Leaf (15/08/2015, Kew Gardens, London)

Platanus orientalis is a long lived, large deciduous tree. Its mid green leaves are alternate, palmate with up to 7 lobes, coarsely toothed, up to 30cm long and 30cm broad. Its bark is usually flaking, sometimes becoming thick. Its green flowers are round and burr like, appear in clusters of up to 6 and are up to 25mm across.

Platanus orientalis, commonly known as the Oriental Plane, Eastern Plane, Platano, Chenar or Buin, is native to south east Europe and south western Asia.

Platanus orientalis Fruit (15/08/2015, Kew Gardens, London)

The etymological root of the binomial name Platanus is derived from the Greek name for Plane tree. Orientalis is from the Latin meaning ‘from the east’.

The landscape architect may find Platanus orientalis useful as a large parkland tree. Once established it is drought tolerant. It is tolerant of urban pollution.

Ecologically, Platanus orientalis provides a valuable source of food in the form of it’s seed for some birds and squirrels during the winter months.

Platanus orientalis Bark (15/08/2015, Kew Gardens, London)

The Royal Horticultural Society has given Platanus orientalis their prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 1993.

Platanus orientalis prefers moist, humus rich, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil.

Platanus orientalis requires little maintenance.



Landscape Architecture

Platanus x acerifolia

Platanus x acerifolia street tree (12/09/2011, London)

Position: Full sun    

Flowering period: Spring

Soil: Well drained

Eventual Height: 35m

Eventual Spread: 20m

Hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a,  10b

Family: Platanaceae

Platanus x acerifolia is a large deciduous tree with a wide trunk 3m or more in circumference when fully mature. It’s bark is quite smooth and exfoliates in plates revealing creamy yellow/olive green inner bark with the outer bark being tan grey in colour. The leaves of the this tree are broad and palmately lobed with a stiff texture and coarsely toothed margins. The are maple like in appearance with a 3-10 cm petiole. In springtime it’s leaves are coated with small stiff hairs which wear off by summertime. The insignificant flowers are monoecious and bloom in April. These develop into groups of two to three dense 2cm spherical seed clusters on a pendulous stem which have numerous stiff hairs which aid wind dispersal of the individual 3mm seeds during the winter months. These seeds may exacerbate breathing difficulties in asthma suffers.

Platanus x acerifolia park tree (17/09/2011, London)

Platanus x acerifolia, commonly known as the London Plane, was first recorded in Spain around the 17th century and is thought to be a hybrid of the American Plane and Oriental Plane of southeastern Europe and Asia. It was for the first time described in botanical literature by Scottish botanist William Aiton in his 1789 work Horstus Kewensis as a variety of the Platanus orientalis and named it the Spanish Plane Tree. This tree is also known as Platanus x hispanica although this is a nomen dubium. The reason it is called the London Plane tree is due to its extensive use throughout the city of London. It is described as the worlds most reliable city tree being able to cope with polluted conditions.

The etymological root of the binomial name Platanus is derived from the Greek name for Plane tree. Acerifolia is derived from the Latin meaning leaves like an Acer.

Platanus x acerifolia Leaf (03/07/2015, Walworth, London)

The landscape architect may find Platanus x acerifolia useful as a large street tree due to its tolerance of urban pollution.

Ecologically, Platanus x acerifolia provides a valuable source of food in the form of it’s seed for some birds and squirrels during the winter months.

Platanus x acerifolia bark (12/09/2011, London)

Platanus x acerifolia prefers moist but well drained soil conditions. It prefers soils with a pH between acid and alkali. It prefers a soil with particle sizes between sand and clay.

The Royal Horticultural Society has given Platanus x acerifolia their prestigious Award of Garden Merit to P. acerifolia in 1993.

Platanus x acerifolia responds well to pollarding, this should be carried out during spring.

Landscape Architecture