Platanus × hispanica

Planted: 1913

This tree can be found at the northern end of the East Walk

Distribution:	Hybrid – widely planted across Europe.
Planting Date:	1913 purchased from Plowman and son, High Street, and Lubenham Hill, Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
Growth Habit:
Bark:	Multi-coloured bark which has a camouflage-style pattern.
Leaf:	Sycamore-like leaves are leathery and thick, with five triangular lobes. They turn a rich orange-yellow before falling in autumn.
Flowers:	The ball-shaped male and female flowers are found on the same tree, although on different stems.
Fruit:	After pollination by wind, female flowers develop into spiky fruits, comprising a dense cluster of seeds with stiff hairs, which aid dispersal by wind. The fruits slowly break up over winter to release their seeds.
Toxicity:	Not known.
Potential tree size:	35 m
Uses:	Ornamental, street tree.
Plant Hunter:	Thought to be a cross between the Oriental plane and the American sycamore – both of which had been introduced to Britain. By chance, one of each species had been planted in the London nursery garden of John Tradescant, the younger which cross-pollinated to produce a new hybrid.
Introduction Date:	It was first noticed by Tradescant – a famous botanist – in the mid 17th century and named after the city where it originated – London
Anecdotes and Comments:	These trees make up the largest leaf area of all tree species in Inner London, potentially bringing the most benefits for air quality and shade.