Appearance: Very impressive, a powerful deciduous tree with a height of more than 30 m, and under favorable conditions – even more than 40 meters. Crown very wide and highly vaulted, often also multi-part, in old trees - huge size,
The trunk is generally quite straight and almost always visible to the middle of the crown, therefore, it gives the impression of being very high.
Bark initially gray-brown or light brown, later falls off with thin, very large rounded fifths, that leave light yellow spots. Shoots pale green or brownish, initially dense, felt hairy. Oval donuts, about 7 mm in length, reddish-brown, with a slightly bent top.
Torsion leaves (difference from similar-looking maple species!), about the length 15-20 cm in length and sometimes even slightly wider than longer, in total roundish in outline, however, divided into three to five, and up to seven unequally large, wide triangular flaps, which are indented to at most half of the plaque. Upper leaf surface smooth, glossy and green, lower – brighter and mostly naked. Flowers in spherical heads. Male inflorescences yellowish, female at the time of flowering yellowish and carmine red.
Fruit-bearing also spherical, brown, Hang, individually or in pairs, on long peduncles.
Occurrence: In Central Europe, very often planted as a park tree, also in avenues and on the streets.
Flowering period: Maj.
General thoughts: The origin of this common tree in cities is the subject of dispute among professionals. Many see in him a hybrid of the eastern plane (Eastern plane tree) with western plane tree (American sycamore) – others regard it merely as a variety or cultivated form of the first of these species.. The hybrid nature of the plane discussed here is supported, among other things, by this, that on long, hanging peduncles usually develop only two spherical fruit-bearing bodies, whereas in parent species there are always or three of them, or just one. In this respect, the form described here actually stands exactly between the alleged parental species., as you can easily see, because characteristic spherical fruits can be seen on trees also in winter. In turn, behind this, to consider the maple leaf plane only as a special variety of Eastern Plane tree, the way its large leaves are shaped speaks. In terms of many characteristics, particularly – leaf cut, they are the same, as in Platanus orientalis and have virtually little in common with the leaves of Platanus occidentalis with shallow sinuses and very wide flaps. In addition, bunches of hairs in the executioners of the leaf nerves disappear during the summer exactly the same, as in the eastern plane. Another noteworthy feature – only in the maple leaf flap and the eastern lobe, the bark falls off with large, irregular lobes; in the western plane, these are always small pieces, mostly smaller than the palm of your hand. The maple leaf plane tree is a fairly fast-growing tree and generally outgrows both of these species., It tolerates clearly better, than other woody plants, strong pollution of the environment with dust and exhaust fumes and for this reason is especially willingly planted in large cities on the streets and in parks. Its occurrence is not limited to Europe, Settlers took him with them to North America, where, for example, in the state of Ontario it is often found next to the local Platanus occidentalis. Maple leaf flake wood is quite durable and strong. Brunat-nawa tough guy is willingly used to make highly valued furniture. Veneers obtained from very light white are, in turn, commonly used in inlays.