The plane tree should stand in the garden for many years. It doesn't matter whether she is allowed to live out her growth unbridled or given a strict shape with scissors. In fact, the plane tree has the potential to become ancient. The decision for them is therefore one for generations.

Plane trees live an average of 200 years

The plane tree has this life expectancy

Life expectancy figures are estimates based on information collected. Experts currently assume that the plane tree will be 150 to 250 years old.

But that definitely doesn't mean the highest possible age. There are some specimens worldwide that significantly exceed this life expectancy. There is a plane tree on the Greek island of Kos that is said to be around 1000 years old. Its circumference is an incredible 14 m.

external influences

It is possible that all plane tree species can reach such a high age if their living conditions are consistently ideal. But they rarely are. The following factors influence the healthy development and thus the age of a plane tree:

  • location and climate
  • diseases and pests
  • Environmental influences such as lightning strikes

Many trees are also felled by people, either because their wood is in demand or because they are no longer wanted in their place.

Notice:
Trees in cities are not currently having an easy time because air pollution is affecting them. However, the plane tree is considered to be insensitive in this respect. Their life expectancy for cities is given as up to 200 years.

plane trees in Germany

According to historical information, plane trees were first planted in Germany around 1750. The plane trees on the Rondell in Dessau, which were planted in 1781, are among the oldest specimens in this country. But there are also isolated specimens across Germany that are around 200 years old.

Visible changes with age

The taller a plane tree is and the larger the girth of its trunk, the older it is. Annual growth can be around 60 to 80 cm, depending on the species and variety of plane tree. Often a height of 35 m and a crown width of 25 m is reached.

It can be observed that the crown becomes broader, rounder and more open with age. Breakability is low unless the tree suffers from Massaria disease. If the sycamore has grown in size, it loses its bark bit by bit. This is why the trunk of an older bark looks patterned.

Calculate age

There are rarely documents that show when a plane tree was planted. Since the annual rings of a tree are not visible from the outside, the approximate age can be calculated using the Mitchell formula. The trunk circumference is multiplied by a so-called age factor. In the case of the fast-growing plane tree, this is given as 0.4.

tips

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Trees