Eucalyptus: leafТатьяна Максимова, CC BY 4.0
Eucalyptus
London plane: leafoliverc29, CC BY 4.0
London plane
Lookalikes

Eucalyptus or London plane?

Both have bark that flakes off in patches of grey and cream.

The quickest check

The quickest check is the outline of a leaf. Eucalyptus: round young ones, or long and curved. London plane: broad, with three to five pointed lobes. No leaves on the tree? Check the fruit on the tree.

At a glance

Look atEucalyptusLondon plane
Outline of a leafRound young ones, or long and curvedBroad, with three to five pointed lobes
Fruit on the treeWoody bell-shaped capsules up to 1 cmBristly balls about 3 cm, two to six on one stalk

Two ways to tell them apart

Outline of a leafLeaves
Eucalyptus: outline of a leafТатьяна Максимова, CC BY 4.0
EucalyptusRound young ones, or long and curved
London plane: outline of a leafoliverc29, CC BY 4.0
London planeBroad, with three to five pointed lobes
Fruit on the treeCapsules
Eucalyptus: fruit on the treeClive Freedman, CC BY 4.0
EucalyptusWoody bell-shaped capsules up to 1 cm
London plane: fruit on the treeSusan Marley, CC BY 4.0
London planeBristly balls about 3 cm, two to six on one stalk
Think you can tell them apart now? Try the tree quiz: real photographs, and what gives each tree away.Take the quiz

The two trees

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus gunnii

Eucalyptus is an evergreen tree with two kinds of leaf: round, silvery ones in pairs, and longer, stalked dull grey ones. Its smooth bark peels in patches of cream, pink and grey.

How to identify eucalyptus →

London plane

Platanus × hispanica

London plane is a big city tree with bark that flakes off in patches of grey, cream and olive. All winter, round bristly seed balls hang from its bare branches.

How to identify London plane →

Their other lookalikes

London planeSycamoreLondon plane or sycamore?Quickest check: how the leaves sitLondon planeField mapleLondon plane or field maple?Quickest check: the leaf and how it sitsLondon planeNorway mapleLondon plane or Norway maple?Quickest check: how the leaves sitLondon planeWild service treeLondon plane or wild service tree?Quickest check: how the lobes are set
In the app

See them side by side in Treely

  • Both trees, part by partLeaves, bark, buds, flowers and fruit, photographed through the year
  • Every lookalike side by sideThe checks that settle it, for every pair people mix up
  • A short round each dayUntil you can tell them apart at a glance
  • The full GuideBoth trees written up in full, with where to find them
App StoreGoogle Play

Free to download.

Every fact on this page is checked against the Collins Tree Guide, last in November 2026. Spotted something that looks wrong in front of a real tree? Tell us. How we check.

Photographs: Татьяна Максимова (CC BY 4.0), oliverc29 (CC BY 4.0), Clive Freedman (CC BY 4.0), Susan Marley (CC BY 4.0). With thanks to everyone who shares their photographs on iNaturalist and Wikimedia Commons.