Scientific Family
Platanaceae
Synonyms
Platanus racemosa Nutt. var. wrightii
Other common names
plane tree
Plant type
Trees
Riparian
Yes
Plant Description
Origin
Native
Similar species
Platanus racemosa
Large, spreading, irregular shaped tree with whitish older branches and broad open crowns and stout, mottled trunks to 4 feet in diameter. Often branched near base.
Large spreading tree; older branches have white bark with a plated appearance, younger twigs rusty and hairy. Terminal leaf lobe 2/3 or more length of blade; leaf blades 4 to 10 inches long and of similar width. Clusters of round fruits.
Height
80 feet
Width
60 feet
Habitat
Habitat description
Often abundant in riparian forests, especially in montane canyons, extending into deserts along streams and near springs.
Plant Community
Riparian
Low elevation
2000
High elevation
6000
Leaves
Leaf color
Light green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Palmate
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf hairs
Bottom of leaves
Spines
No
Leaf Drop
Deciduous
Light green above, paler and hairy beneath. Palmately lobed, divided into 3, 5 or 7 narrow, long-pointed lobes. 6 to 9 inches long and wide. Slightly star-shaped. Usually without teeth.
Flowers
Flower color
Green
Flower shape
Inconspicuous
Tubular
No
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
May
Green, flowers inconspicuous, emerging with the leaves. Male and female flowers in dense, round male or female only flower heads, either singly or in multiples along a stem.
Flower clusters
Rounded
Fruit
Fruit color
Light brown
Fruit type
Achene
2 to 4 fuzzy balls, 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter, hanging on a long, slender stalk; composed of numerous tiny, tufted seeds; maturing in autumn. Balls disintegrate over winter, with the wind dispersing the seeds.