Hello,

One thing in any green part of London that you will notice is a particular tree. I remember once I was walking with a friend and they told me that they must be Maples with a very distinct type of leaf. Unfortunately they were a little off mark as actually the common tree in London is a Hybrid and you can’t really find it anywhere else called London Plane.

London Plane

Like me this tree is London born although where exactly is unknown. Some believe that it was in Vauxhall park as the parent variety trees are both present there. The tree is a cross between two other trees, the Oriental Plane and the American Plane tree. These have been in London since the 17th century and are the most common type that you’ll see on streets and city parks. It is said to account for half of the trees planted in London so you should definitely see one should you visit. One of two trees which is named after a City (other is the Manchester Poplar).

Tree Bark

The tree bark has this beautiful camo look to it however this is not because it is sick. Sometimes you may also witness it peeling however this is perfectly fine. The tree actually takes in pollution and literally sheds it which results in the beautiful bark pattern.

Leaves

The leaves give that beautiful colours of the seasons from rich green to, yellow, red before dropping. These are great for anyone looking for beautiful images of a street or park in London.

Pollarding

As a child I thought this was killing the tree as it can look quite shocking the first time you see it happen. What they do is remove all of the branches entirely however this also prologues the life of the tree. Once they do this the first time, it has to be done once a year. Across London I observe it happening late Spring and high Summer.

Summary

As you know I love London and so I love sharing little interesting things about it. It is crazy how even the trees here are special here. Hope you find you photos even more special next time you take a photo in London.