London plane

Sun

Full sun; tolerates light shade but develops its best crown in an open position.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Mature trees tolerate some drought, but grow best with access to moisture; prolonged drought can cause early leaf fall.

Soil

Deep, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil; tolerates clay, loam, sand and a broad pH range. Avoid persistently waterlogged ground.

Height

65-100 ft (20-30 m)

Spread

50-80 ft (15-24 m)

Flowers

Spring: small, inconspicuous reddish female and yellowish male flower heads; brown seed balls persist into winter.

Foliage

Large, alternate, maple-like leaves with three to five pointed lobes; green in summer, turning yellow-brown in autumn.

Growth

Fast when young, especially in moist soil.

Care needed

Medium

• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   10 ft (3 m)

2. After 1 year

   15 ft (4.7 m)

3. After 2 years

   21 ft (6.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   27 ft (8.1 m)

5. After 5 years

   38 ft (11.5 m)

About 13 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Choose a site with room for the mature canopy and roots, well away from buildings, drains and paving.
• Water deeply during dry spells for the first two to three growing seasons, wetting the root ball and surrounding soil.
• Keep a broad, grass-free mulch ring, with mulch clear of the trunk.
• Stake only if the root ball is unstable; use flexible ties and remove supports once the tree is firmly rooted.
• Do not feed routinely; fertilise only where poor growth and soil testing indicate a deficiency.
• Arrange periodic arborist inspections for a mature tree over paths, seating or buildings.

Pruning. Prune young trees in winter dormancy to develop a sound framework, removing competing leaders and damaged or crossing branches. Have an arborist handle large limbs; pollarding must begin on a young tree and continue on a regular cycle, rather than starting by topping a mature tree.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable and moist; in very cold climates, wait until spring.

Winter

Carry out formative pruning on young trees and check stakes and ties.

Spring

Renew the mulch ring and check emerging leaves for anthracnose damage.

Summer

Water young trees deeply during dry weather and inspect leaf undersides for lace bugs.

Late summer

Arrange an arborist inspection if upper branches show dieback or shed unexpectedly.

Late autumn

Collect fallen leaves from lawns and drains; compost healthy leaves or make leaf mould.

• Use as a specimen shade tree in a large lawn, where its spreading crown has room to develop.
• Plant in widely spaced avenues on large properties for a strong, formal framework.
• Set against dark evergreen planting to highlight the pale, patchwork trunk in winter.
• Underplant an established tree with shade-tolerant groundcovers and spring bulbs, avoiding deep cultivation among its roots.

Garden styles it suits: Urban city garden, Architectural minimal, Formal, Grand estate, English manor and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Epimedium, Bigroot geranium, Hellebores, Liriope, Snowdrops and Hardy cyclamen.

Wildlife: The broad crown provides nesting and shelter for birds, and some seed-eating birds take the seeds. Its value to leaf-feeding insects varies by region and is generally lower than that of locally native trees.

• Anthracnose: cool, wet springs can cause blotched leaves, shoot dieback and early leaf fall. Collect fallen leaves, water stressed young trees and have dead branches removed; established trees often produce replacement foliage.
• Plane or sycamore lace bugs: pale stippling above and dark specks beneath leaves indicate feeding. Small infestations rarely need treatment; avoid broad-spectrum insecticides that kill predators and seek local advice for severe damage.
• Massaria disease: affected branches can decay and fail, particularly on mature, stressed trees. Damage may be hidden on the upper side of branches, so use a qualified arborist for inspection and removal.
• Root conflict: large surface roots can lift paving and compete strongly with nearby planting. Prevent this with generous siting; do not cut substantial roots without arborist advice.

Not known to be poisonous to people, cats, dogs or horses. Fine hairs from leaves, shoots and seed balls can irritate eyes, skin and airways, especially during pruning or dry leaf clearance; pollen can also trigger allergies.

• American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

  Usually bears one seed ball per stalk, rather than the commonly paired balls of London plane; its leaves generally have shallower lobes. Individual trees can be difficult to separate.

• Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis)

  Usually has more deeply cut, narrower leaf lobes and three or more seed balls along a stalk; London plane generally has broader lobes and fewer balls.

• Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus)

  Has opposite leaves and paired winged seeds. London plane has alternate leaves and round, hanging seed balls.

The common name reflects its long association with London's streets, where its tolerance of smoky urban conditions made it a widely planted tree.

Propagation. Usually propagated by dormant hardwood cuttings or nursery grafting. Seedlings vary because it is a hybrid and will not reliably reproduce the parent tree's characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Platanus hispanica

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.