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London plane

London plane

Platanus x acerifolia
A very large deciduous shade and street tree of garden/urban origin — a hybrid of American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and Oriental plane (Platanus orientalis), also written Platanus x hispanica — reaching roughly 70-100 feet with a crown that starts pyramidal and broadens to open and spreading. Its design signature is the bark: a mottled, exfoliating, camouflage patchwork of cream, olive, and gray that flakes away in plates to reveal a smooth pale underlayer, lit up dramatically in winter. It carries large maple-like palmate leaves and hanging spherical seed balls (usually borne in twos or threes on a stalk, a small field difference from the single balls of American sycamore). It is famous as the classic big-city street tree because it shrugs off pollution, compacted soil, root confinement, drought, and hard pollarding better than almost any other large tree — but it is genuinely huge and is the wrong tree for a small lot.
Climate fit: moderate (58/100)
Structure
Focal point

Cold hardiness

Future
These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7a
Plotwright
Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).
Well-suited
In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future
Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.
Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Sources & citations

Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). London plane (Platanus x acerifolia). Retrieved 2026, June 14, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/platanus-x-acerifolia
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited - 18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
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Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0
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Image