It is as common in Paris as it is in London, in fact it is more common. Not that they call them London planes over there. The French just call them planes, or platane, which is the French name for them; platinus hispanica is their scientific name. They give Paris its character. Those tree-lined boulevards are what make Paris in many people's estimation, and the trees are London planes, or platane. Istanbul, a city of similar status, the other side of Europe, is also rich with planes, although on this occasion it is the oriental plane which dominates. The London plane is a hybrid between the Oriental plane and the American plane.

              Now take a look at the trees beside you. Observe that they have round spiky nuts dangling down from their branches, usually in pairs. Observe the bark which seems to be multishaded. In fact, if you look closely you will see that this is caused by its flakiness. This phenomenon is in fact what makes the London plane so adept for London, because this process of shedding its bark protects the tree from pollution. These qualities, you will see all year around.