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Woody > Populus > Populus alba > Populus alba

Populus alba


White Poplar




Family
Salicaceae
Genus
Populus
Species
alba
Category
Woody
Type
Tree (deciduous)
Pronunciation
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-8
Canadian Hardiness Zone
3a
Temperature (°C)
-40
Temperature (°F)
-38
Height
16-25 m
Spread
10-15 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
April
General Description
A large, fast growing deciduous tree. Very distinct, so white it looks as if it’s covered in snow. Interesting bark and leaves.
Cultivation
Very easy to grow, very adaptable to different pH's, pollution and salt. Needs full sun, and prefers moist loam. Recovers well from injury.
Shape
Very irregular rounded crown
Growth
Fast
ID Characteristic
Leaves are wooly and white underneath. Twigs and buds wooly as well. Mature bark is white with black horizontal lenticels. Mature base is brown/grey and deeply furrowed. Irregular in crown shape. Often with a leaning trunk.
Pests
Aphids, poplar borer, scales, poplar canker, hypoxylon canker, septoria canker, red-humped caterpillar, branch gall, leaf spots, leaf rusts, powdery mildew, bronze birch borer, fusarium canker, cytospora canker, leaf blister, poplar tent maker.
Habitat
Temperate northern hemisphere. Very adaptable, but typically found in a sunny disposition.
Bark/Stem Description
Mature bark is white with black horizontal lenticels, with a brown or grayish deeply furrowed base. Young bark is gray, rich brown or green. Twigs are covered in white wool.
Flower/Leaf Bud Description
Conical to ovate, overlapping, and pressed close to the stem. Light brown with wooly white covering. 5-6 mm in length.
Leaf Description
Two different shapes. Both are simple, alternate, 5-12 cm long, coarsely toothed, and dark green. Underside is white to grey and covered in a thick wool. Most common leaf is palmate with 3-5 lobes. Other is more elliptic-oblong to ovate.
Flower Description
Diocious, clusters of catkins. Female catkins are 8-10 cm in length. Male catkins are 5-8 cm long, with 5-10 stamens per flower, with purple anthers.
Fruit Description
Cotton like seed. Capsules are oval, green and dehiscent, with two valves. 5-7.5 mm long.
Colour Description
White or silver. No autumn colour. Observed leaves turning black on upper side in London, Ontario, during the autumn.
Texture Description
Coarse in dormancy, medium to coarse during the growing season.
Notable Specimens
Clark Road Secondary School, London Ontario.
Propagation
Cuttings can be successful, especially during the summer. Seeds will germinate immediately. Self propagation through root suckers.
References
Straight species is not widely available in Ontario, although some cultivars are. The cultivar 'Raket' is available from Dutchmaster Nurseries Ltd. in Brougham, Ont.
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