Plane Tree (Planetree) - Sycamore - Plátano de Sombra - Photos.

The Plane tree (or the Sycamore as it is known to expats here) has been a favourite since the Romans lived in Madrid a couple of thousand years ago. It is a beautiful large deciduous (it loses its leaves every autumn) shade tree, which grows relatively fast. The Planetree flowers in April and May. A lot of people are allergic to either a dust that comes out on the fruit or the "fur" on the underside of the leaves of Planetrees.

  

Latin: Platanus Orientalis, Platanus Occidentalis, Platanus Hybrida, Platanus acerifolia.

One of the tree guides that I use as a reference states that many of the Plane trees in Madrid are actually hybrids between Platanus Orientalis and Platanus Occidentalies. I suppose anything is possible regarding these trees in city parks, etc.

Planetrees in the main parks and along the main streets

The Plane trees in the photos above can be found on the "Paseo de los Platanos" in the "Campo del Moro" gardens below the Royal Palace of Madrid. The last photo was taken last winter before a severe pruning. In the last photo you can see this Planetree-lined street winding up around the park to the Royal Palace (just after the pruning).

The first 6 photos in this set are of Planetrees in the Plaza de España (Plaza de España Photos). The 7th photo is of some Planetrees which line the Calle de Princesa which also connects to the Plaza de España. The eighth photo is of some Plane trees in the Glorieta de Bilbao. The ninth photo is of some Planetrees in the Plaza de Oriente (Royal Palace Photos). The tenth photo is of some Sycamores in the Casa de Campo by the lake. The eleventh photo is of a Planetree-lined walkway at the Lago de Polvoranca (Lago de Polvoranca Photos). The twelfth photo is of some Sycamores in the Retiro park of Madrid (on the left). Many of the main streets in Madrid are lined with Planetrees.

Planetrees in average parks and along streets

You can see a lot of beautiful Plane trees along average city streets and in parks.

In the third photo, there are Planetrees on the left and Sweetgums - Ocozoles on the right. The situation is reversed in the fourth photo. Apparently, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate the two because of their similarities.

Plane Tree - Platano de Sombra

Planetrees can have a lot of shapes depending on the severity of the pruning. As you can see, these are rounded, but the ones on the Paseo de los Platanos are a little taller and thinner.

Plane tree fruit

The fruit on the Planetree is round and prickly. The prickly hairs that grow out of the fruit are locally known as "Pica-Pica" ("itchy-itchy") and irritate noses, throats, and eyes.

Children: it's called a "fruit," but it's not edible.

Plane tree leaves

The leaves of Plane trees are star-shaped and have a "dusty" substance on their undersides (especially in early spring) which causes itchy throat and nose and other respiratory problems in many people (including me). You can easily rub this "furry" substance off of these leaves with your fingers.

Planetree trunk

The older bark of this tree peels off very easily as many school-children know. You can see that there are various levels of thin bark. The inner levels are lighter coloured and the outer levels are darker coloured. The last picture is of a Planetree in the "Paseo de los Platanos" in the Moro Gardens.

The Biggest Sycamore in Madrid as far as I can tell (In the Royal Botanical Gardens)

Notice the roots on that tree. It must be 40 metres tall. It's huge! It's the biggest one I've ever seen in Madrid. Though you might find bigger ones in the gardens of Aranjuez.

Platanus Hispanica (In the Royal Botanical Gardens)

Another variety within the gardens. I haven't seen many around in Madrid, but who knows?