TOP


EXCLAMATION!™ London planetree #008

Map







Map



Details

Celebration: Planted in celebration of Merge Worship

This sycamore tree was planted in the fall 2025 in honor of Merge Worship’s ten-year anniversary. Merge Worship has been a student-focused, multicultural service at Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church since October 2015. It fosters community through diversity, fellowship, and worship. Rooted in Black gospel traditions, Merge is known for its soul-stirring gospel choir, powerful praise, and sermons that inspire both heart and mind. 

 More than a service, Merge is known for its hospitality; from amazing home-cooked meals to the ever-popular grab-n-go Sabbath breakfast. Merge is a spiritual home where Southern Adventist University students take ownership in music, ministry, and leadership—gaining experience, connection, and growth. Its impact is clear: in its first ten years, over 75 souls have been baptized, countless lives encouraged, and a legacy of faith established.

 This sycamore tree is planted to celebrate ten years of ministry and as a living reminder of Merge’s journey. Just as Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus more clearly, those who lead and attend Merge are seekers too—longing for a closer view of their Heavenly Father. This tree symbolizes the roots Merge has developed since 2015 and the branches of legacy that continue to grow and impact future generations with the love of Christ.

The EXCLAMATION!™ London planetree (Platanus acerifolia 'Morton Circle') is a cultivar known for its uniform, pyramidal shape, urban tolerance, and disease resistance. It was developed by the Morton Arboretum and introduced through the Chicagoland Grows program. 

Dr. Ware crossed a specific Oriental planetree (P. x orientalis) from the U.S. National Arboretum with an anthracnose-resistant American sycamore (P. x occidentalis) growing at the Morton Arboretum.

Key characteristics

  • Appearance: A medium to large shade tree, growing to 50–60 feet high with a 35–45 foot spread.
    • Bark: One of its most notable features is its mottled, exfoliating bark, which peels away to reveal an attractive patchwork of cream, tan, and green colors.
    • Leaves: Large, palmate (maple-like) leaves that are a dense, medium green color in summer. They turn yellow and golden in the fall.
    • Form: Features a strong central leader and a uniform, upright pyramidal shape.
  • Urban tolerance: It is known for its ability to thrive in harsh urban conditions.
    • It tolerates a wide range of soils, including compacted and alkaline types.
    • It is resistant to air pollution and drought once established.
    • It can also handle road salt.
  • Disease resistance: This cultivar was specifically bred to be resistant to common diseases that affect planetrees.
    • Anthracnose: It shows a strong resistance to this fungal disease.
    • Powdery mildew: It is also resistant to this cosmetic disease.
    • Frost cracking: It is resistant to bark splitting that can occur in winter.
  • Other features
    • Fruit: The tree produces fewer of the seed balls that are common on other London planetrees.
    • Growth rate: It grows at a medium-fast rate, with young trees adding up to 3 feet of growth per year under ideal conditions.




 



Measurements

No Records Available


Collections

Collection Added On
Common Name    
Family    
Genus    
Southern Arboretum 2025-09-22 13:58:03
Southern Celebration Trees 2025-09-22 13:58:07