Plane trees (Platanus orientalis) are frequently planted in Greece for shade because their wide-spreading branches can grow up to 50 meters (164 feet). In fact, the tree’s name comes from the Greek platys (πλατύς), meaning “wide” or “broad.” Many Greek villages have one or more ancient plane trees in their squares that provide shade in the summer and often serve as the focal point of and a major meeting place in a village. Plane trees originated in North America, eastern Europe, and Asia, but they have roots in mythology as well: Legend claims that Hercules planted a grove of plane trees at Olympia for his father Zeus. Plane trees also sheltered the paths surrounding Plato’s Academy in Athens. A plane tree planted in 2019 to replace an ancient plane tree that had died is beginning to provide shade for the Arismari taverna in Platanaki Square in Gavalochori.
