Location: Meadows, Gallery, Woodland Trail, Arrival Hall, Four Rounds
In Bloom: April

The London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia) is not native to Maryland—it’s not really native to anywhere since it is a hybrid. The London plane tree is a naturally occurring hybridization of an American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and the Oriental plane tree (Platanus orientalis). It is a tall, deciduous tree known for its gray scaly bark which sloughs off in great patches, revealing a kaleidoscope of green, grey and white bark. Here’s a handy trick for determining whether you’re looking at a London plane or an American sycamore: London planes produce 2-3  seedheads on a cluster; the American sycamore only bears one. The hybrid was popularized by seventeenth century horticulturalists as an urban tree because it could tolerate pollution, partial shade, questionable soils, cold winters, and hot summers. The London plane was intentionally re-crossed in 1968 producing the Columbia Plane tree. This latter hybrid is prominent in the plantings in front of Richard Serra's Contour 290, 2004, and a trio of Columbia planes provides shade for the Café entrance.