One tree that makes Vas cry

There is one tree in Metro Vancouver that makes landscape pro Vas cry. I found this out years ago when I blew a site in Vancouver with my then-supervisor. We both got back in the truck, looked at each other and realized we were both crying! Since I don’t suffer from any allergies, I had to find out what tree this was.

Platanus x acerifolia

The London plane tree is a large deciduous tree. Give it lots of space. And expect to see some mess. Just today, in Burnaby, we spent time finessing Platanus tree wells and surrounding lawn areas. We picked up branches, leaves and fruits.

The leaves are 3-5 lobed and maple-like, thus the acerifolia name. It means looking like Acer (maple). Don’t expect great fall colours because the green just fades into yellow.

It grows as a single trunk tree with horizontal branching and a rounded habit.

Two key features

There are two key features that will make it easy for you to remember this tree.

One huge ornamental feature is the brown bark which exfoliates in irregular pieces to show creamy white inner bark. Add bark pieces to your clean-up list.

Two, the female flowers turn into fuzzy, long-stalked, spherical fruiting balls that ripen to brown in October and persist into early winter.

Each fruiting ball consists of numerous, densely packed tiny seed-like fruits (achenes). The balls eventually disintegrate, dispersing their tiny seeds, often in downy tufts, with the wind. Or with your backpack blower. Asthma and allergy sufferers will hate this part.

Landscape features

Platanus tolerates pollution so it fits well in cities with plenty of space. But remember there will be some “mess” to clean up. I personally laugh when a tree is described as messy.

It also provides plenty of shade which was great today when temperatures hit high twenties. It’s OK in warm weather and it also resists breakage.

London plane tree is the only tree that makes me cry. Have you seen one in your neighbourhood?