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Platanus orientalis

Common name:	Oriental Plane	Family:	Platanaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	11, 89, 200
Synonyms:	Platanus vulgaris
Known Hazards:	In hot dry climates the hairs of the fruits and leaves are believed to cause an effect similar to hay fever[11, 200].
Range:	S.E. Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat:	By rivers in forests in the hills[89].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Chinar [E], Cinar [E], Dulb [E], Oriental Plane [MS], Oriental Planetree [P], Planetree,Oriental [E], Shanar [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	orientalis = eastern;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Hamamelidales. Plane-tree family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Europe; Iraq; Kurdistan; Turkey; Us

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 30m by 30m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from October to February. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Astringent; Ophthalmic; Vulnerary.

The leaves are astringent and vulnerary[7]. The fresh leaves are bruised and applied to the eyes in the treatment of ophthalmia[240]. A decoction is used to treat dysentery and a cream made from the leaves is used to heal wounds and chilblains[7]. The leaves are harvested in the spring and summer and can be dried for later use[7].
The bark is boiled in vinegar and then used in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery, hernias and toothache[240].

Other Uses

Dye; Wood.

A fabric dye is obtained from the branches and roots[7]. The colour is not given[K].
Wood - tough, difficult to split, not durable. It is not esteemed for carpentry, but has certain advantages in cabinet making[7], it is also used for inlay work and wood pulp[46, 61, 89].

Cultivation details

Requires a sunny position in a deep fertile well-drained soil[188]. A fast growing species, established plants are drought tolerant[200]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution and compacted soils[200].
This species is hardy in most areas of Britain but the trees do not do well in northern parts of the country, requiring hotter summers than are normally experienced there[98].
A very ornamental and very long lived tree[1]. It is immune to 'Plane tree wilt' fungus[11].
Very tolerant of root disturbance, trees up to 5 metres tall can be moved quite easily[200].

Propagation

Seed - two months cold stratification improves germination[113]. Sow spring in a cold frame in light shade[78, 98]. Home grown seed is often of poor quality and low viability. It is best to harvest the seed in late winter or spring and then sow it immediately in a cold frame[80]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current years growth, 20 - 30 cm with a heel, autumn in a cold frame[1]. Easy[200].
Layering of stools in spring or autumn. Takes 12 months[78].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Platanaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[98] Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.
Very comprehensive guide to growing trees and shrubs from seed. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.