| The London plane tree is a cross between the Oriental plane and the American plane. In an ironic twist of fate, Europeans had collected Platanus species in the 18th century from both North America and Asia. The two species, Occidentalis and Orientalis, accidentally crossed and came back to the Americas as the London plane tree. Because it grows in very harsh conditions, it has become a highly planted tree in cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Chicago. |