London Planetree is a large, stately shade tree best suited to parks and other large areas. It has a strong central leader, horizontal branches, and large lobed leaves providing wonderful shade. Its outstanding feature is its platey, exfoliating bark, creating a mosaic of tans, browns and white. Fuzzy brown fruit appears in pairs, and ripens and falls in autumn, disintegrating into fluffy, downy tufts. Grows 60 to 100 feet tall and up to 60 feet wide. There are some fine examples in Liberty Park, casting much-needed shade during the hot summer months.
Grow in well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates light shade. Prefers rich, humusy, consistently moist soils. Generally tolerant of most urban pollutants.