Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens

Tree of the month series - this series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens is compiled by members of the Friends group and Gardens staff. We aim to build up to a comprehensive archive of trees in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Each article will illustrate a tree growing in Belfast Botanic Gardens together with information from a range of sources. Click here to view the tree archive

Tree of the Month, May 2010

London Plane

Platanus x acerifolia

Jon Pilcher

The plane tree is quite common as a city street tree in Belfast. The hybrid London plane is more commonly grown than either of its supposed parents; the oriental plane (Platanus orientalis) and the American plane (Platanus occidentalis). The plane is one of the most polution-tolerant trees - hence its success in London. The most distinctive features of the tree are the mottled flaking bark and the hairy, spherical fruit. The leaves are similar to the sycamore but are never attacked by the black-spot fungus that affects the latter. The male and female flowers are produced in separate clusters on the same tree. Allowed to grow without pruning the London plane will reach 40m in height. City street trees need frequent pruning to keep them in check. In France the planes are often pollarded or pruned back to stumps in the winter as shown below. A good example of a London plane in Belfast Botanic gardens is on the right of the path from the Embankment gate towards the Bandstand.

Large London plane in Belfast Botanic Gardens	Leaf of London plane
Female flowers of London plane	Male flowers of London plane
Bark of London plane	Severe winter pruning of plane trees typically seen in France

Photos taken in 2010 in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Copyright Jon Pilcher