LONDON TREES 



TREES do well in London, and that in spite of 

 the chemical impurities of the atmosphere, and 

 generally unfavourable condition of the soil in which 

 they are planted. Though the so-called London 

 Plane predominates, yet several other trees are equally 

 suitable for planting, as may be inferred from the age 

 and large size to which they have attained in many 

 parts of the Metropolis. 



London might well be called ' The City of Plane 

 Trees/ for, unfortunate though it may be from the point 

 of view of sameness, it has been carefully computed 

 that fully sixty per cent, of the arboreal vegetation 

 in the Metropolis consists of this tree. The Elm, Lime, 

 Poplar, Acacia, Ailanthus, and some others are all more 

 or less common, but the London Plane has ousted 

 almost every other tree from the field ; indeed, during 

 the past five-and-twenty years it has been planted to 

 the exclusion of almost every other species. That in 

 the London area it succeeds as well as, if not better 

 than, the majority of trees must be admitted, but 

 the almost monotonous repetition in our streets, 

 squares, and public gardens of this particular Plane 

 is to be deplored and has been the cause of much 

 unfavourable comment during recent years. Though 

 the number of trees that succeed in a satisfactory way 

 in London is strictly limited, yet, on the other hand, 

 it is surprising what a variety of the less common 

 kinds are to be found in various parts of the Metro- 

 polis, and as many of these are full-grown specimens 

 the inference to be drawn is obvious. The Cork Oak, 

 Liquidambar, and Black Walnut have all attained to 

 goodly proportions at Lambeth, the Pterocarya in Hyde 



