London plane trees

The London plane tree (Platanus x acerifolia) is a hybrid of the American sycamore (P. occidentalis) and oriental plane (P. orientalis), both of which were introduced to England in the seventeenth century, and it is well known as a majestic tree particularly tolerant of coal dust, smoke, compacted soils, and other aspects of the urban environment. It is found in many large cities both inside and outside the ranges of both parental species, often where neither parental species can survive. If a tree grows in Brooklyn, it is most likely a London plane.