Planting methods and care tips for the London plane tree

Morphology: 20-30 m tall, crown broadly bell-shaped; bark grayish brown to grayish white, peeling off in thin flakes. Young branches and young leaves densely covered with brown stellate hairs. Leaves palmately 5-7 lobed, deeply lobed to the middle, lobes longer than wide, leaf base broadly wedge-shaped or truncate, leaf margins toothed, palmately veined; stipules ring-shaped. Inflorescence head-like, yellow-green. Most nutlets clustered into whole-leaf spheres, 3-6 spheres in a string, persistent style long, bristle-like, fruit stalk long and drooping.

Distribution: native to Europe; also distributed in India and Asia Minor.

Habits: particularly strong adaptability to urban environments, with an exceptional ability to absorb harmful gases, resist smoke and dust, and insulate against noise; drought-tolerant and fast-growing.

Reproduction: flowering period April-May; fruit matures September-October.

Uses: a world-famous excellent shade tree and street tree. Highly adaptable and tolerant of pruning and shaping, it is an excellent street tree species, widely used in urban greening; in gardens it is planted as a specimen on lawns or open ground, or planted in rows along pathways, where it is especially majestic and spectacular. Because it is highly resistant to various toxic gases and can absorb harmful gases, it is quite suitable for greening neighborhoods and factory and mining areas. Its fruit can be used as medicine.