(click on the pictures and they will enlarge)
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About 5 miles from my house here in Holland there is a protected tree.
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It is a London Planetree or officially a Platanus acerifolia. This hybrid tree was developed before 1700, probably through a cross between the native Sycamore and the Oriental Planetree. The specific scientific name, acerifolia, refers to the maple-like appearance of the leaves. Brown, green and gray patches mark the smooth bark of this tree. Also, the bark peels away in large flakes. This tree grows well in moist soils of humid temperate regions
The sign says that it was planted in 1749. That is before the United States declared its 
independence from Great Britain.
independence from Great Britain. -
I'm not a particularly small guy. Look at the size of this tree compared with me. This tree is really big.
I once heard a definition of the difference between Europeans and Americans:
Europeans think that that something 100 kilometers (62 miles) away is very distant.
And Americans think that something 100 years old is very old.
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