I went to see a tree today. A short walk from the office took me to the Victoria Embankment, and on the corner of Horse Guards Avenue I had an assignation with a lofty London plane.
A hybrid of the Oriental plane and the American plane, the London variety outnumbers any other species of tree in the capital. It’s well-suited to urban life, its peeling bark making it resistant to city pollution, although asthma sufferers have reason to curse the tiny hairs shed by its young leaves in spring.
The fine example that stood before me on this damp autumn day owed more to its eastern forebears than its American cousins, its canopy more compact than its neighbours’, its leaves slightly smaller. Its characteristic bark was a patchwork of pale greys and browns, scarred here and there by the names of lovers carved into its flaking bark. (Lovers should know that the London plane has a stony heart — one day soon it will cast off their names as it does the oil and dirt deposited by the Embankment’s constant traffic.)
I was here because the so-called Embankment plane is one of 61 Great Trees of London selected by Trees for Cities, a charity that campaigns to get more trees planted in inner city areas. The first 41 Great Trees were selected by public nomination in 1987 to tie in with the tenth anniversary of the catastrophic 1987 storms. This year, a further 20 were named following a similar process.
Trees are judged according to their historical significance, their location and their physical character. There’s a list on the Trees For Cities website and if you’re in London it’s a pretty good bet you’ll find one near you.
So why not go and have a look? Be quick before the leaves fall…
To find out more about Great Trees visit treesforcities.org/. Find out more fantastic reasons to visit London.
