Platanus × Acerifolia
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A Shady Character: Platanus × acerifolia Nancy Rose n hot, sunny summer days, visitors The large (up to 10 inches [25.4 centimeters] gravitate toward the Arboretum’s wide) leaves have 3 to 5 lobes and are medium Omagnificent old specimen trees whose green with limited yellowish fall color. Male dense, leafy canopies provide welcome shade. and female flowers are borne separately in One such specimen is a centenarian London globose inflorescences; the bumpy, tan, golf- planetree (Platanus × acerifolia, accession ball-sized fruit holds multiple achenes. The 16595-B) growing in a prominent location near fruit are usually borne in groups of 2 and may the juncture of Bussey Hill Road and Valley persist well into winter before breaking apart. Road. This stately tree was accessioned in April London planetree’s most notable ornamental 1891, received as a plant from Thomas Meehan feature is its thin, exfoliating bark that displays and Son nursery in Philadelphia. With an age a camouflage-like pattern in shades of white, of about 125 years, it currently measures 31 brown, and green. meters (102 feet) tall, 24.5 meters (89 feet) wide, A number of London planetree cultivars have and has a trunk dbh (diameter at breast height) been selected and vegetatively propagated; these of 132.5 centimeters (52 inches). cultivars are often preferred over seed-grown London planetree was long considered to be plants in landscapes where uniform tree shape a hybrid of Oriental planetree (Platanus orien- and size is desirable. The species can be affected talis) and American sycamore (P. occidentalis), by several diseases including anthracnose, pow- though it required modern molecular analysis dery mildew, and canker stain, so disease resis- to prove this definitively. The species’ exact tant cultivars have been especially sought after. origin and correct scientific name have been The original “London” form (which lead to the the subject of debate over the years. The parent common name) was likely a clonal selection, species are from Eurasia and North America, though “London planetree” is now widely used respectively, so it was only through human to denote the species as a whole. transportation of germplasm between conti- Because of its large size and abundant leaf nents that they were able to hybridize. The and fruit litter, London planetree is not ideal first hybrid may have occurred at the Oxford for many residential lots, especially small city Botanic Garden around 1670, though an ori- lots. It is best reserved for sites where it can gin in Spain has also been suggested. The first achieve its full stature, such as parks, public recorded binomial was Platanus hispanica in gardens, and campuses. London planetree is 1770, followed by P. hybridus in 1804, then P. noted for its tolerance of heavy pruning and is acerifolia in 1805. Current references are split, often pruned and trained to limit crown growth, with some listing P. × acerifolia (Ait.) Willd. and especially in Europe. Pollarding, a severe type others Platanus × hispanica Mill. ex Münchh. of pruning that heads back growth to short, as the accepted name. knobby limbs, is commonly practiced on Lon- Because of its hybrid nature, seed-grown Lon- don planetrees in European park and boulevard don planetrees can be quite variable in growth plantings. At the Arboretum, accession 16595-B habit, leaf shape, and fruit production. This is and surrounding London planetrees have been further compounded by potential backcross- allowed to grow in their natural, wide-spreading ing with either of the parent species. Mature form, thus providing a shady haven during the London planetrees typically have a spreading dog days of summer. crown and substantial trunk, and reach a height of 60 to 90 feet (18.3 to 27.4 meters) or more. Nancy Rose is the editor of Arnoldia. .