At first glance, laypeople can easily mistake a plane tree for a maple tree. It is the similarity of the leaves that causes the confusion. Fine differences only become visible at second glance. Not just the leaves!
In spring, the plane tree bears spherical inflorescences
ancestry
The similar appearance of the leaves suggests a relationship between these two tree species. But no sign of that! The plane trees have their own family of plane trees, which consists of a single genus. The maple belongs to the horse chestnut family, which in turn belongs to the soap tree family.
leaves
The leaves of both tree species are about the size of the palm of a hand, green and multi-lobed. The pointed lobes are similar in shape in both species. In particular, the London Plane and Norway Maple have many similarities. However, if you look at the details of the leaves, several differences also become apparent:
- a plane tree leaf usually has three lobes, the maple five
- in maple, the lower part of the leaf wraps around the stem
- the leaves of the plane tree grow alternately
- the leaves of the maple grow opposite
- Maple leaves have a more intense fall color
flowers and fruits
The differences in the flowers, which appear at about the same time, are even greater. While sycamore blossoms stand together in spherical inflorescences, maple blossoms are arranged on umbels or panicles.
The aggregate fruit of the plane tree is a 2 to 3 cm ball that becomes rotten in winter and releases the seeds. The maple forms split fruits, each consisting of two winged nuts.
bark
While the flowering and fruiting season is only part of the year, the bark of the tree can tell us at any time whether it is a plane tree or a maple. The older the tree is, the easier it is to distinguish.
The dead bark of a maple tree turns into bark, which becomes thicker and more furrowed over the years. The dead bark of the plane tree, on the other hand, remains relatively short on the trunk or branches. It bursts open regularly and falls off in pieces. Underneath, the dappled pattern of the tree trunk appears, which can be seen from afar.
tips
If you have a maple tree in the garden that loses its bark, it is by no means as harmless as with the plane tree. This could be a fungal disease that you need to fight.