Side by side
London plane or fig? How to tell them apart
Platanus × hispanica · Ficus carica
How to tell them apart – London plane: a large tree with flaking bark and ball-shaped fruits; fig: shrubby tree with large, rough, palmately lobed leaves and figs.
How do you recognise them?
- London plane
- Maple-like leaf that is alternate, flaking ‘camouflage’ bark and hanging balls.
- Compared with fig: a large tree with flaking bark and ball-shaped fruits.
- Fig
- Shrubby tree with large, rough, palmately lobed leaves and figs.
| London plane | Fig | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, palmately lobed with 3–5 lobes, 12–25 cm. The base of the leaf stalk is hollow and encloses the bud. | Alternate, 10–25 cm, 3–5-lobed and rough to the touch; white milky sap. |
| Flowering | May | The flowers are hidden inside the young fig. |
| Fruit | Hanging balls 2–3 cm across, often in pairs, which break up in winter into fluffy seeds. | Green to purple figs; in our climate mainly in summer. |
| Bark | Peels off in large patches, creating a mottled pattern of grey, green and yellow. | Smooth and silvery grey. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 25–40 m | Fruit tree, 3–6 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Little | Little |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | April–May |
What does it mean for your garden?
- London plane grows 25–40 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: London plane
- Plant profile: Fig
- London plane: when and how to prune
- Fig: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.