French plane tree

Scientific name

Pleussian sycamore

Alternative names

French plane tree, French plane tree, English plane tree , maple-leaf Platanus

Family and Genus

Platus family, Platanus

Morphological characteristics

A large deciduous tree, more than 30 meters high. The bark is smooth and falls off in large pieces; the young branches are densely covered with gray-yellow hairs; the old branches are bald and reddish-brown. The leaves are broad and ovate, 12-25 cm wide and 10-24 cm long. The upper and lower sides have grayish-yellow hairy induments when they are tender. The lower indumentum is thicker and denser, and later becomes bald; the base is truncate or slightly heart-shaped, and the upper part is truncate or slightly heart-shaped. Palmately 5-lobed, sometimes 7-lobed or 3-lobed. Flowers usually number 4. The sepals of male flowers are oval and hairy; the petals are oblong; the stamens are longer than the petals. The fruit branches have 1-2 inflorescences, which often droop; the diameter of the inflorescences is about 2.5 cm, and there are no protruding villi or very short hairs between the nuts.

Regional distribution

Original from southeastern Europe to West Asia, it has been introduced all over the world. It is widely cultivated in China from the northeast, northwest, and north China to central, southwest, and east China.

Growth Habits

Positive fast-growing tree species, likes light, is intolerant of shade, has strong drought resistance, is relatively tolerant of moisture, and likes a warm and humid climate. The annual average temperature is 13-20℃, and the annual precipitation is It grows well in areas of 800-1200 mm. It has strong cold tolerance and can grow normally in Xi'an, Beijing and Dalian, but does not grow well in Guangzhou. In the north, late frosts in spring often cause frost damage to young leaves and young shoots, and crack the bark. It is highly resistant and can adapt to the soil conditions with poor air permeability in urban streets, but due to poorly developed root systems, it is easily blown over by strong winds. The soil requirements are not strict. It grows best in moist and fertile slightly acidic or neutral loam, and can also grow in slightly alkaline or calcareous soil.

Garden value

The canopy of the two-ball sycamore is wide, the leaves are large and the shade is thick, and the cooling effect in summer is extremely significant. It is highly adaptable and resistant to pruning and shaping, making it an excellent street tree species. It is widely used in urban greening, planted alone in lawns or open spaces in gardens, and planted on both sides of roads. And because it has strong resistance to a variety of toxic gases and can absorb harmful gases, it is quite suitable for greening neighborhoods, factories and mines.

Economic value

The leaves of Platanus can be used as roughage for livestock, as culture medium for edible fungi, leaf protein can be extracted, used as fertilizer, and can be used as a supplier of insect control aerosols. Thermal agent raw materials.

Plant Disadvantages

Adult plants will bloom and bear fruit in large numbers, forming a large amount of pollen every spring and summer. At the same time, the cones of the previous year will crack and produce a large number of fruit hairs. According to statistics, a 10-year-old two-headed sycamore tree with a diameter at breast height of 10 cm can produce 200-400 cones every year, and each cone can produce about 2-5 million fruit hairs, which are floating in the air. Pollen and fruit hairs easily enter people's respiratory tracts, causing allergic reactions in some people and causing rhinitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, asthma and many other diseases.