London Plane

The London Plane is a hybrid between the American Plane (P. Occidentalis) and the Oriental Plane (P. Orientalis). It is a common ornamental tree in London, as its name suggests.

The leaves are large and glossy with palmate lobes. The flowers appear in May as small round balls on long stalks.

The fruits are usually in pairs - bristly balls with protruding hairs. These hairs and those from the leaves can cause allergic reactions in some people.

One of the characteristics of this tree is the bark, which peels off in patches leaving the pale inner bark.

The wood is hard and sometimes known as "lacewood" because of its grain. However, it is not particularly suitable for external woodwork.