London plane Platanus x hispanica

London's most planted tree is the London plane and can easily be identified by its camouflage pattern bark and hanging pom-pom fruits in winter. Hardy and resilient, it manages to retain an air of authority and magnificence even when cramped into the city streets after which it was named.

The London plane is so dominant in London that it has almost become part of the urban landscape, like some sort of natural building which is barely worth a second look. But Platanus x hispanica is very much worth investigating, and not least as it is so easy to do so - it accounts for more than 50% of all planted trees in London.

The origins of this deciduous resident of Britain's capital city are not entirely clear. While some authorities suggest it is a variety of the western plane (Platanus orientalis), it is most likely to be a hybrid between this and the eastern plane (Platanus occidentalis). But even assuming this is the case, it is still uncertain as to whether the hybrid occurred naturally in Britain or whether it was first brought to these shores from Spain.

Whatever the truth, the London plane first appeared in Britain around the middle of the 17th century and was planted as an ornamental tree. It soon became the de rigueur tree to plant in London once it was realised just how tolerant to city life it is. All trees 'breathe' through pores in their bark but not all shed it quite like the London plane. As time goes by, great plates of bark fall off revealing a camouflage pattern of browns, greys and yellows of the fresh wood beneath. This process ensures that pollutants are removed and the tree is kept healthy.

As well as this self-cleaning process, Platanus x hispanica proves how well-suited it is to the urban world by being resistant to drought, amenable to regular pruning and unbothered by impacted soil, all common features of life in London.