Platanus orientalis, the Oriental plane,[2] is a large, deciduous tree of the Platanaceae family, growing to 30 m (98 ft) or more,[3] and known for its longevity and spreading crown.

The tree was called platane in ancient Greek history and literature and by related names in continental Europe.

The oriental plane is found naturally in riverine settings, together with such trees as alder, willow and poplar.

[6] Like other plane trees, its leaves are borne alternately on the stem, deeply lobed, and palmate or maple-like.

As a very large and wide tree with broad, thick leaves that tend to orient horizontally, it is especially prized for the shade and coolness it provides during the hot season.

It grows best in rich soil in a sunny location[7] and can survive drought well, although young plants appreciate regular watering.

The Athenian Academy, outside Athens, featured a sacred grove of planes where the students listened to the masters and where among others the Peripatetics practiced philosophy.

Many villages in Greece feature plane trees in their main squares, frequently found alongside them are water springs that in the past would serve as the main water source for the villagers; usually these are quite old trees with their age seen as a point of pride for the local inhabitants.

Pliny's Natural History[12] records the westward progress of the plane "introduced among us from a foreign clime for nothing but its shade", planted first at the tomb of Diomedes on the island of Tremiti, then imported to Greek Sicily by Dionysius the Elder (c. 432–367 BC), tyrant of Syracuse.

He had plane-trees conveyed to the city of Rhegium (Reggio di Calabria), where they were looked upon as the great marvel of his palace, according to Pliny's sources.

[15][16] Excavations from the Burzahom archaeological site have revealed charcoal remains of the tree from the Neolithic period.

One tree believed to be planted in 1374 A.D at the Chattergam village by an Islamic mystic Syed Abul Qaim Hamadani who accompanied Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani from Iran to Kashmir, is believed by many in Kashmir to be the world's oldest surviving chinar tree.