Platanus x acerifolia

London Plane Tree is a hybrid of American Sycamore and Oriental Planetree. It is a large shade tree in the Platanaceae family. It prefers rich medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun but tolerates urban pollution, clay soil, light shade and deer. The form is a rounded crown with horizontal branching.

The striking feature of this tree is its brown bark which exfoliates in irregular pieces to reveal a mottled creamy white inner bark. Female flowers give way to brown, fuzzy, long-stalked, spherical fruit balls.  Balls ripen in October into early winter.

It is widely used in urban areas as a street tree and will do well in large yards or parks as a shade tree. It is considered a high maintenance tree with twig, leaves, bark, and fruiting body litter.

Problem insects include borers, scale, Japanese beetles, caterpillars, and mites.  Is prone to canker stain and sycamore anthracnose ('Columbia' and 'Liberty' are more disease resistant).  Canker, leaf spot, and powdery mildew may also occur.  

VIDEO created by Grant L. Thompson for “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University.