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James H. Schutte
Platanaceae
Platanus x hispanica 'Bloodgood'
London Planetree
The vigorous London plane, 'Bloodgood', is one of the first cultivars bred for resistance to anthracnose, a fungal disease that causes severe leaf and twig drop during the growing season. This selection is also quite fast-growing. Young trees have a pyramidal habit but develop beautiful spreading crowns with age.
Tall and upright with spreading branches covered in flaking gray and tan bark, London planetree is best known as a tough urban street tree. It is a hybrid between American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and Asian planetree (P. orientalis), and was hybridized in England in the middle of the 17th century. Hybrid vigor makes this deciduous a tough adaptable choice for urban conditions.
The large, maple-like leaves of London plane are bright pale green when they first emerge in spring. Clusters of flowers appear alongside the emerging leaves. The inconspicuous rusty salmon blossoms are either male or female. Small, golf ball-sized fruits develop after pollination by wind. The fruits come in clusters of two to four (rarely singly) and turn from green to light brown. They decorate the branches well into winter and eventually fall and shatter into a puff of fine fibers. Fall leaf color is usually golden yellow accented with tan. The attractive bark peels off in rounded patches in a mosaic of gray, tan, and brown, revealing a smooth almost white layer beneath.
For best growth and stature grow London planetree in full sun and fertile soil that is moist and deep. It also has considerable tolerance for the dry, shallow soils of city tree lawns. It attains a huge mature size, so don't grow it too closely to buildings. It is a spectacular shade tree for the landscape or spacious avenues. In times of drought, or in regions with long hot summers, the foliage may turn brown in late summer, and become fully dormant and dry by fall. The large dry leaves and fruits are messy and require cleanup.
9 - 1
5 - 9
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Tree
Full Sun, Partial Sun
70'-85' / 21.3m - 25.9m
50'-65' / 15.2m - 19.8m
Spring
Hybrid Origin
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Average
Clay, Loam, Sand
Wet Site, Pollution, Drought, Soil Compaction
Fast
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Oval/Rounded
Salmon, Bronze
Tan, Sandy Brown
Green, Gray Green
Green, Gray Green, Light Yellow, Tan
Tan, Brown, Ivory, Gray
Spotted/Mottled
No
Yes
Coarse
Matte
Platy
Shade Trees, Street Trees
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