London Plane - Platanus x hispanica

Scientific Name: Platanus x hispanica Platanaceae. (Syn P. hybrida; P. acerifolia.)

English Name: London Plane; Plane Tree. 

French Name: le Platane à feuilles d'érable (='maple leafed plane'); le Platane d'Espagne (='Spanish Plane'); le Platane commun (='common plane'); le Platane (='plane'); la Main-coupée (='cut hand'). 

5 Key Characters:  

•  very large, spreading tree.
• grey bark that sloughs in patches throughout the year to reveal cream trunk underneath.
•  large palmate leaves, up to 25cm across, with 5 toothed lobes.
• white haired seeds released from seedheads in spring.
• green bobbly flowers.

Lookalikes:  

Habitat: Often planted as street trees and in avenues.

Flowering Period: June.

Status: Introduced garden hybrid. Very widely planted ornamental. Now threatened by a fungal disease.

Photographed by Loire Valley Nature:

6 very large mature London Planes shading the boule pitch in Preuilly sur Claise.