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Found this tree yesterday

bellringer

The Young one
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Feb 27, 2013
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5,187
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Surrey
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Alex
Well its a London plane tree that must have been 6 ft in diameter but the top was as small as any thing

a2ezesum.jpg


It outside the imperial war museum sorry about the picture quality might go back next time I am in London I can then slove the argument that I had with my freind that I could walk to London bridge from there but that is another story
 

Lons

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Unusual shape, almost as if it's been pollarded then forgotten about.

I wanted to bring these home last year but the missus wouldn't let me :whistling: I'd have needed a larger suitcase mind.
 

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bellringer

The Young one
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Surrey
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Alex
Yes u would need a big suit case I am not sure what had been done as it dose not look like a normal pollard it was the only other one like it I did not get a good look as my freind were not to intrested in it they thought I was weird taking the picture but I dont mind
 

Jim

Grand Master
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Oct 19, 2011
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15,617
And all the while that people think we are weird when looking mesmerised at these samples our minds are thinking what we could turn from them ... :whistling:
 

lignaterrae

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Jul 30, 2013
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Bolton
Interesting pic Alex. I've seen a number of London planes like this over the years - short but huge barrel-like trunk topped by a relatively small crown of skinny branches. I've assumed they are the result of repeated pollarding over the years, especially when the trees are in public places and need to be kept to a reasonable size. From an example not far from me, plane trees do seem to re-sprout very well even after serious mutilation. Can't help but think that some lovely burrs must form at the top of the stem...
 

Neil

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Interesting pic Alex. I've seen a number of London planes like this over the years - short but huge barrel-like trunk topped by a relatively small crown of skinny branches. I've assumed they are the result of repeated pollarding over the years, especially when the trees are in public places and need to be kept to a reasonable size. From an example not far from me, plane trees do seem to re-sprout very well even after serious mutilation. Can't help but think that some lovely burrs must form at the top of the stem...

Dave, you're right very big burrs do form but unfortunately they don't live up to burr expectations. Bob Smith at Timberline took a punt on some London plane burrs, managed to off load one to me but that was about the extent of his sales, it's a bit disappointing, I'll try and make a pen from one in the next few days and post it.
 

lignaterrae

Full Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2013
Posts
237
Location
Bolton
Dave, you're right very big burrs do form but unfortunately they don't live up to burr expectations. Bob Smith at Timberline took a punt on some London plane burrs, managed to off load one to me but that was about the extent of his sales, it's a bit disappointing, I'll try and make a pen from one in the next few days and post it.

Thanks Neil, I'd like to see that. I have a platter I turned many years ago in part-burred plane and it was intriguing. The burr didn't seem to comprise the usual epicormic buds but was more like clusters of denser, darker but plain material - no buds eyes - around which the medullary rays bent and swirled. Very attractive but the burr did die out very rapidly away from the outside edge of the tree which gave me to think the burr was little more than a surface feature Does that tie in with your observations?
 
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